Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica & Los Angeles
Facial Mole Removal in Santa Monica
804 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403 · Near Montana Avenue · (310) 998-5533
Scarless facial mole removal with pathology on every specimen — by UCLA-trained plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica
Call (310) 998-5533 Request a Consultation
Tiffany Sierro, MDboard certified dermatologist
ScarlessShave & Minimal-Scar Excision
Raffy Karamanoukian, MDboard certified plastic surgeon
Facial Mole Removal Santa Monica
Every Mole Removed. Every Specimen Examined. No Exceptions.
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Graduate, UCLA School of Medicine · Scarless Mole Removal · Facial Reconstruction · Scar Expert · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica · With Dr. Tiffany Sierro, MD (Board-Certified Dermatologist)
Facial mole removal sits at the intersection of medicine and cosmetic surgery in a way that makes it more consequential than a simple office procedure. Every facial mole removed must be evaluated for malignancy — because the same pigmented lesion that appears clinically benign can harbor microscopic atypia or early melanoma that is only detectable through histopathologic examination. And the same procedure that removes a lesion safely must be planned with the cosmetic emphasis that a visible facial location demands, using the technique and the closure that produces the most invisible possible result.
At Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro, MD address both dimensions of every facial mole removal — the diagnostic safety and the cosmetic outcome — as an integrated standard. Dr. Sierro evaluates every mole with dermoscopy for ABCDE criteria and atypia assessment; Dr. Karamanoukian applies the facial reconstruction techniques that produce the scarless or minimal-scar results his surgical training uniquely enables. All specimens go to pathology. No exceptions.
DualDermatologist + plastic surgeon evaluation
ABCDEDermoscopy assessment at every appointment
100%Pathology submission on all removed moles
AnnualSkin cancer screening with Dr. Sierro
Facial Mole Removal Services at Kare Plastic Surgery Santa Monica
- Cosmetic facial mole removal — all locations, all types
- Lip mole removal — vermilion and mucosal surface lesions
- Scalp, nose, eyelid, and ear mole removal
- Shave excision — raised, dome-shaped, benign facial moles
- Elliptical excision with minimal-scar closure — along Langer’s lines
- Dermoscopy evaluation and ABCDE atypia assessment
- Dermatopathology specimen submission — all cases
- Post-removal Vbeam laser — residual redness management
Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica
Have a facial mole you want removed? Schedule an evaluation today.
Patient Result — Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica · Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian
Lip Mole Removal — Before & After
Actual patient of Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian · Pigmented mole — vermilion of lower lip · Individual results may vary
Before — Lip Mole
After — Complete Removal
Mole Location Vermilion of lower lip — cosmetically critical location
Result Complete removal · No visible scar · Natural lip contour preserved
Before: Dark, well-defined melanocytic mole on the vermilion of the lower lip — a cosmetically prominent and clinically important lesion at the lip mucosal surface requiring both diagnostic evaluation and precise cosmetic removal. After: Complete removal with no visible residual pigmentation, no scarring, and fully preserved natural lip color and contour. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
The Kare Approach
Facial Mole Removal: Cosmetic Precision Meets Diagnostic Responsibility
The lip mole case above illustrates the dual challenge that defines expert facial mole removal: the mole is located on the vermilion — the most cosmetically visible mucosal surface of the face, where any scar, color change, or contour irregularity is immediately apparent — and it requires dermoscopic evaluation before removal to confirm its clinical character. Dr. Karamanoukian’s approach combines the diagnostic dermatology framework of Dr. Sierro’s evaluation with his own facial reconstruction surgical technique — applied together to produce results that are both safe and cosmetically impeccable.
Mole Removal Techniques at Kare Plastic Surgery
01
Shave Excision
The mole is removed at the level of the surrounding skin with a flexible blade — leaving a flat, round wound that heals without a linear scar. Ideal for raised, dome-shaped, or papillomatous moles. The resulting flat pink macule typically becomes nearly invisible within 3–6 months.
02
Elliptical Excision
The mole is removed as an ellipse with full-thickness skin removal and primary layered closure. Incision placed along Langer’s lines of minimal skin tension at the specific facial location — the same precision applied to facelift and rhinoplasty incisions. Deep dermal closure removes tension from the skin surface before epidermal closure.
03
Lip & Special Site Technique
Moles on the lip vermilion, eyelid margin, nasal tip, and other cosmetically critical locations require technique-specific approaches that preserve the anatomical landmarks of each site. Dr. Karamanoukian’s facial reconstruction training provides the precise technique for these challenging locations — as demonstrated in the lip mole case above.
04
Pathology — Always
Every mole removed at Kare Plastic Surgery is submitted to a board-certified dermatopathologist. This is not optional for suspicious lesions — it is the standard for all removed moles. The histologic report confirms the benign diagnosis and closes the diagnostic loop that protects each patient from the rare but critical missed malignancy.
Know Your Mole: The ABCDE Criteria
Dr. Sierro evaluates every mole with dermoscopy at the initial consultation. The ABCDE criteria are the screening framework for moles that require prompt evaluation rather than elective scheduling.
A
AsymmetryOne half doesn’t match
B
BordersRagged or notched edges
C
ColorMultiple shades in one lesion
D
DiameterLarger than 6mm
E
EvolutionAny change in size, color, or symptoms
Annual skin cancer screening with Dr. Sierro. Patients who present for cosmetic mole removal also benefit from scheduling a concurrent full-body skin cancer screening with Dr. Tiffany Sierro at the same appointment. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends annual professional screening for all adults — especially in the Los Angeles and Santa Monica area where year-round UV exposure is among the highest in the United States. Call (310) 998-5533 to schedule combined mole removal and annual skin exam.
“The facial mole that looks cosmetically bothersome and the mole that needs a biopsy can look identical to the naked eye. That is why every mole we remove goes to pathology — not the ones that look suspicious, all of them. The cost of that discipline is a lab fee. The cost of missing a melanoma is not comparable.”
— Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get facial mole removal in Santa Monica?
Kare Plastic Surgery at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue offers expert facial mole removal by UCLA-trained board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany Sierro. Scarless shave excision, elliptical excision along Langer’s lines, lip and special-site mole removal, dermoscopy evaluation, and pathology submission on all specimens. Call (310) 998-5533. We serve patients from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and all of Los Angeles.
Is mole removal covered by insurance in Santa Monica?
Mole removal is covered by most PPO insurance plans when the removal is medically indicated — meaning the lesion has clinically or dermoscopically concerning features that require biopsy for diagnosis. Cosmetic removal of a clinically benign mole with no concerning features is typically a self-pay procedure. Dr. Sierro’s dermoscopy evaluation at consultation determines which category applies to each specific lesion. Kare Plastic Surgery verifies insurance before your appointment — call (310) 998-5533.
Can moles on the lip be removed without scarring?
Yes — as demonstrated in the before/after case above. Moles on the lip vermilion and mucosal surface can be removed using precise shave excision or minimal elliptical excision techniques that preserve the natural lip contour, color, and surface anatomy. The key is selecting the technique appropriate to the specific mole location and depth, and applying the closure that matches the surgical standard of each specific anatomical site. Dr. Karamanoukian’s facial reconstruction expertise provides the precise technique for lip, eyelid, nasal tip, and other cosmetically critical mole locations.
Related Resources at Kare Plastic Surgery
Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica · Near Montana Avenue
Schedule a Mole Removal Consultation
Schedule a facial mole removal consultation with Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian and Dr. Tiffany Sierro at Kare Plastic Surgery Santa Monica — dermoscopy evaluation, scarless technique, pathology on all specimens, and annual skin cancer screening in the same visit.