If you have a teenage child that has been told by a dermatologist or their primary-care doctor that they have a mole that needs to be removed, your child may be understandably nervous and concerned. However, if you have also never gone through the mole-removal process yourself, you may not know what to say or do to make the process easier for your child. In order to be sure that you are helping your child as much as you can with this dermatological procedure, get to know a few simple steps to take. Then you will be ready to move forward in protecting your child's health and well-being.
Listen to Their Concerns and Address Them
When your child is told that they need to have a mole removed, they are likely equally nervous about the actual procedure and the reasons behind the procedure. It is important that you let your child express their feelings about the situation and address their concerns.
Oftentimes, a dermatologist will recommend that a mole be removed if it is an odd shape or color or if it has changed in any way since the last time it has been examined. This is a precaution in case of skin cancer. However, more often than not, these moles are benign. Try to reassure your child of this fact and that even if the mole that is removed is cancerous, its removal is likely all the treatment that will be needed.
Take Them to Their Appointment and Stay Home the Rest of the Day with Them
Another way that you can help your child with their mole-removal procedure is to take them to their dermatologist appointment and to stay with them for the rest of the day after the fact. Most mole-removal procedures take very little time to complete—generally less than an hour or so depending on the method used to remove the mole.
The traditional method of surgically cutting the mole out using a scalpel or other device is often the most time consuming; cryotherapy (freezing) or laser mole removal may be quicker. It is important for you to be there for your child so that they know you are supporting them and will be there waiting for them after the mole is removed.
Additionally, no matter how small the mole is in size or where it is located, your teen will be sore after the mole-removal procedure. They should be allowed to stay home from school that day, even if the procedure is early in the morning. By afternoon, they will be sore and tired, which would make it unpleasant to be at school. And staying home with them will allow you to provide them support and just let them know that you care about their well-being and recovery. This is especially important if they have never had any kind of surgery before, as they may be nervous and frightened in spite of the minor nature of mole-removal procedures.
With these tips in mind, you can better support your teen with their mole-removal procedure.
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