What are Flat Moles & Why do They Occur?
Flat moles or moles are the additional patch of skin cells that can grow on your skin. [2]
Flat moles can be black or brown and develop anywhere on your body. You can have moles on your skin in early childhood or during the first 25 years of your life.
Some of the moles on your body start to change color with time. Some of them may grow hair, while some gradually disappear. There can be some moles that don’t change at all.
Cells in your skin are supposed to spread throughout the surface. Melanocytes are called melanocytes, responsible for giving your skin its natural color. [ 2]
However, sometimes those cells grow in a cluster and cause a mole. Usually, the moles look like a small brown spot but can change color because of sun exposure, pregnancy, and during your teen year.
Some of the flat moles can be deadly. If you’re not careful, they could turn into Malignant Melanoma, a major reason behind the death from skin cancer in the UK. [1]
It would help if you visited a dermatologist to diagnose the moles and seek proper treatment.
There are some home remedies to get rid of flat moles, which are quite useful. Those remedies may not give you the faster result but will provide you with the desired skin without any side effects. [5]
Each of the following remedies may not be suitable for you. Please make sure the ingredients suit your skin before you use them.
If you’re allergic to any of the mentioned ingredients, avoid them and try the other safe remedies.
8 Home Remedies to Remove Flat Moles Naturally
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
One of the most popular remedies to get rid of flat moles. This fermented juice is made from crushed apples. [6]
Apple cider vinegar is rich in potassium, which can help remove those moles caused by potassium deficiency. In addition, due to its acidic nature, apple cider vinegar scabs over the mole and helps it fall off over time.
You can use it to remove moles using the following procedure.
What You Need:
- Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
- Cotton Ball or Paper Towel
- Band-Aid
- Coconut Oil
Direction to Use:
- Take a cotton ball or paper towel and soak it in the apple cider vinegar.
- Press it to get rid of extra vinegar, put it on your mole, and leave it overnight.
- Secure it with a band-aid or medical tape.
- You can put some coconut oil for protection. Then, repeat the process every night until you get your desired result.
Read More: Apple Cider Vinegar for Hair: 20 Reasons Why and How to Use it.
2. Sour Fruit Juice
Citric acid has great use in skin care. [7]
Being a natural skin lightener, citric acid can effectively remove any dark spots, moles, and skin tags.
Sour fruits like green apples, oranges, and lemons contain citric acid that helps remove flat moles.
What You Need:
- Juice from Sour Fruit (green apple, lemon, or orange)
- Honey (optional)
Direction to Use:
- Apply the juice over moles for 1-2 weeks.
- Lemon juice can be harsh for some people with sensitive skin. In that case, you can mix the juice with honey.
3. Sea Salt and Pineapple
Pineapple juice can be an excellent remedy for moles.
They are very acidic, thus helping lighten the pigmentation of moles. Besides, pineapple juice can kill bacteria and dry the affected area temporarily to make sure it heals.
Using the juice regularly will make your moles less visible.
You can use either the fruit or the juice for the remedy. But using fresh juice is more convenient.
What You Need:
- Fresh Pineapple Juice
- Sea Salt
Direction to Use:
- Mix pineapple juice with sea salt and gently rub it on your moles.
- The natural citric acid of pineapple will help remove moles, while the salt will remove the dried layer of skin.
- You can also apply fresh pineapple juice to your mole and leave it overnight. It will fade your moles eventually.
4. Honey
One of the safest organic products you can put on your skin. Honey has an active antibacterial agent that helps soothe troubled skin.
There is a lot of research that proves honey can heal any wound without any side effects. [8]
While honey is a great solution for your skin, mixing it with other ingredients may give you a better result.
What You Need:
- Raw organic honey
Direction to Use:
- Massage raw and organic honey on your mole regularly until you get a better result.
Read More: Honey for Sore Throat: Good or Bad?
5. Garlic
Garlic is one of the most effective home remedies for removing moles. It contains allicin, a strong component with antibacterial and antifungal properties to remove flat moles. [9]
Garlic has strong properties for removing moles. So, you need to maintain some precautions. Otherwise, using garlic on the unaffected area of your face may burn your skin.
What You Need:
- Petroleum jelly
- Fresh garlic clove
- Band-aid or medical tape
Direction to Use:
- Apply Petroleum jelly around to mole over the unaffected areas
- Make garlic paste and apply it to the affected area.
- Cover it with a bandage and leave it overnight.
- You need to follow this procedure for five days.
6. Baking Soda and Castor Oil
Castor oil is a popular alternative remedy for skin diseases. [6]
The oil helps eliminate unwanted moles, warts, and skin tags. Using castor oil won’t leave any scar on your face and prevents moles’ normal growth.
What You Need:
- Castor oil
- Baking soda (optional)
- Band-aid
Direction to Use:
- Take half a teaspoon of castor oil and one teaspoon of baking soda.
- Mix it well, put it on your mole and leave it overnight.
You can also use castor oil only. There are some varieties to this method. [6]
7. Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oils are quite popular for softening dry skin or soothing irritated skin. [10]
You can also use them to remove flat moles, especially the raised ones.
Applying flaxseed oil on your mole for a long time can soften the moles and loosen them around the edges. After a certain time, your moles will come off easily.
You can use the oil alone, but mixing it with honey will give you a better result.
What You Need:
- Finely ground flax seeds
- Flaxseed oil
- Honey
Direction to Use:
- Take some flaxseeds and grind them to make a powder
- Mix it with honey and flaxseed oil to make a paste
- Leave the mixture on your affected area for at least 30 minutes
- The mixture will make your moles lose enough to come off easily.
8. Aloe Vera Gel
If you’re not a big fan of acidic ingredients, there’s another amazing natural remedy that can remove and lighten your mole.
Aloe Vera gel contains a healing property that can soothe and soften irritated and sensitive skin. [11]
Because of its non-acidic and soothing nature, Aloe Vera has become a popular ingredient in skincare.
What You Need:
- Fresh Aloe Vera leaf
- Cotton bandage (optional)
Direction to Use:
- Take a fresh Aloe Vera leaf and squeeze the juice out of it.
- Next, apply fresh Aloe Vera gel on your mole and leave it overnight.
- It will not show immediate results, but help soothe delicate and irritated skin.
Read More: Aloe Vera for Acne: 5 Effective Ways to Use
Categories of Moles
Moles are also known as Nevi. There are two types of moles – congenital nevi and dysplastic nevi. [2]
Congenital nevi are birthmarks and occur in about one out of 100 people when they are born. They are slightly riskier than the moles that appear after birth, considering their development into melanoma (skin cancer).
Dysplastic nevi are larger than average (more significant than a pencil eraser) with an irregular shape. They usually have lighter, uneven edges with dark brown centers.
People with this type of mole are more likely to suffer from melanoma. If you have at least 10 or more dysplastic nevi, you have a 12 times higher risk of developing melanoma than those who don’t.
Medical Process of Removing Flat Moles
Removing a mole is a minor operation. The doctor can do it using two procedures – surgical excision and surgical shave. [3]
Surgical excision: This surgery requires cutting out the entire mole with some healthy skin around it. The doctor will anesthetize the area and then do the operation using a scalpel or a sharp, circular blade. You will need stitches to close the wound.
Surgical shave: Doctors often use this procedure to remove small moles. After numbing, they remove the mole with some tissue beneath it using a small blade. No stitch is required after that.
The surgery will leave a scar on your skin. However, you must be careful after the surgery as it can cause infection on the site.
You must follow some instructions to help your wound to heal. It would help if you kept your wound clean, covered, and moist.[4]
Prevention of Moles
Prevention is always better than cure. Unlike congenital nevi, you can somewhat prevent other moles and melanoma from occurring by following some simple rules. [5]
- Avoid extreme sun exposure.
- Your sunscreen must contain SPF 30 or higher.
- Wear full sleeves, trousers, sunglasses, and hats with a brim when you are outside.
- Your clothing must have Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) or Rit Sun Guard Laundry Treatment UV Protectant.
- If you have a family history of melanoma or find anything suspicious with your mole, consult a doctor immediately.
- If you already have moles on your skin, you should have a yearly checkup with your dermatologists.
When to Seek Medical Help for Moles?
Don’t panic if you see moles on your skin. Having between 10 and 45 moles on your body is normal. [12]
Not all the moles on your body are harmful. Some of them go away as you age.
If you want to know whether your moles are healthy, you can stand in front of a mirror and look closely at them. Then, you can ask someone to help you.
You can watch for the following symptoms to know if your moles are normal –
- The right side of your mole looks like the left side, and the top half looks like the bottom.
- The mole hasn’t changed its color since you first noticed it.
- Its border is uniform, well-defined, and sharp.
- The diameter of your mole is one-fourth of an inch.
- The color of your mole is either brown, flesh-colored, or tan and mostly stable.
If the above descriptions match you, you’re probably out of danger.
However, if any of the features don’t match the condition of your mole, you need to consult a doctor.
Read Next: Tea Tree Oil for Skin Tags: 8 Natural Remedies to Try Now
