Skin lesion, mole, cyst and skin tag removal: prices and what is included
At Waterfront Private Hospital in Edinburgh, skin tag removal starts at £395, mole removal at £595 (shave) or £795 (full excision), and cyst or lipoma removal at £695. Before any removal you see a consultant for a £200 consultation, and histology is included in the price wherever a lesion is sent to the laboratory.
How much does mole, cyst or skin tag removal cost?
These are the current guide prices for skin lesion removal at Waterfront.
Every price includes
- The consultant who removes the lesion, and the hospital and theatre
- The local anaesthetic
- Histology wherever the lesion goes to the laboratory
- Dressings, and stitch removal at Waterfront
- Nurse wound checks and a year of aftercare
The consultation is £200 with a consultant, paid when you book it.
So for a single mole removed by full excision, you pay £200 for the consultation and from £795 for the removal. For three skin tags in one session, it is £200 for the consultation, then £395 for the first tag and £100 for each of the other two. All our prices are on the guide prices page.
The word “from” is there because the final price depends on the size of the lesion, where it is, and the method that suits it. A larger cyst that needs a longer closure costs more than a small one. Your consultant confirms the price in writing after examining you, before anything is booked.
Several moles removed in the same session, and anything that needs sedation or a general anaesthetic, are priced after that assessment, because the work varies too much for a list price.
What does the £200 consultation cover, and which option should I book?
There is one consultation fee for skin, with two options when you book:
- “Skin lesion (benign or skin cancer)” is for a mole, lump, cyst, skin tag or other mark you want removed, or one you are worried about. A full-body mole check is booked under this option too.
- “Dermatology consultation” is for a skin condition rather than a single lump or mark, such as eczema or psoriasis. Mr Ben Aldridge sees these patients.
Both are £200 with a consultant. In a skin lesion consultation the consultant takes a history, examines the lesion with dermoscopy (a hand-held magnifier with polarised light that shows structures under the skin surface), and gives you a recommendation before you leave. You get a written summary, and it can be sent to your GP if you would like.
The free second consultation offered for cosmetic surgery does not apply to skin consultations.
You do not need a GP referral. Appointments are usually available within one to two weeks, and removal is usually booked within two weeks of the consultation. For a small lesion, removal on the day of the consultation is sometimes possible if time allows. The usual plan is a separate appointment, so the procedure is set up properly and you have time to think about what was discussed.
What is included in the price?
The removal price covers:
- the consultant who removes the lesion, and the hospital and theatre
- the local anaesthetic
- histology wherever the lesion goes to the laboratory
- written wound care advice, and dressings
- stitch removal at Waterfront, usually at 7 to 14 days
- nurse wound checks, and access to the nursing team for any wound concern
- one year of aftercare, including dressing clinics and the treatment of any complication caused directly by the procedure
- a further review if you need one; there is no routine review once the stitches are out, unless you had a skin graft
The consultant who examines you at the consultation is the one who removes the lesion and gives you the result. At Waterfront that is Mr Kazem Nassar or Mr Ben Aldridge. Both are on the GMC Specialist Register for plastic surgery, both treat skin cancer in the NHS, and Mr Aldridge is also trained in dermatology.
What is not included?
- The consultation, which is £200.
- Any further procedure. The most likely one is a wider excision if the histology shows a skin cancer that needs clearer margins. That is planned and priced separately, and your consultant explains it in person.
- Treatment under sedation or general anaesthetic, which is quoted after assessment.
What is histology, and why is it in the price?
Histology (also called pathology) means the removed tissue is examined under a microscope in a laboratory. It confirms what the lesion was. Even a mole that looks harmless under dermoscopy can occasionally turn out to be an early melanoma, and the only way to know for certain is to look at it under the microscope.
At Waterfront every mole, cyst and lipoma that is cut or shaved off goes for histology, and the cost is included. The one exception is freezing (cryotherapy), which destroys the tissue rather than removing it, so there is nothing to send. That is why freezing is only used where the diagnosis is not in doubt.
Results usually take about three to four weeks, occasionally longer if further tests are needed. If you have heard nothing after four weeks, ring us. The consultant who did your procedure gives you the result. For almost all cosmetic removals the result is unremarkable and nothing more is needed. If it is unexpected, your consultant discusses it with you in person and plans the next step.
When should a lesion be checked for cancer rather than removed cosmetically?
Most moles, cysts and skin tags are harmless, and removing them is a choice. A mark should be assessed as a possible skin cancer first if it:
- has changed in size, shape or colour
- itches, bleeds or crusts again and again
- is a new pigmented spot that appeared in adult life
- is a sore or spot that has not healed within a few weeks
Your risk is also higher if you have had a lot of sun exposure or sunburn, have skin that burns rather than tans, have a family history of skin cancer, or take medicines that suppress the immune system. A new spot matters as much as an old mole: about 7 in 10 melanomas start as a new spot on normal skin rather than in an existing mole (Pampena and colleagues, 2017, as cited on our mole check page).
If your consultant has any concern, the lesion is removed as an excisional biopsy, not as a cosmetic procedure, with a margin of normal skin around it. The histology decides what happens next. An excisional biopsy of a suspicious mole is priced as a surgical excision with histology, from £795. If a melanoma is confirmed, the case goes to the South East Scotland Melanoma Multidisciplinary Team, which Mr Aldridge chairs. Some treatments, such as sentinel lymph node biopsy and drug treatment, are not done at Waterfront and are arranged through the NHS. Our skin cancer page has more detail.
If you are worried that a mole may be cancer, you can also see your GP, who can refer you on the NHS. Either route is reasonable. A changing lesion needs to be looked at by someone trained to assess it. It should not be removed by freezing or a shave without a diagnosis.
A short animation on checking your own skin for changes. It loads only when you press play.
Checking your skin animation
Can I have it done on the NHS, or through insurance?
The NHS usually removes a harmless lesion only when it causes a medical problem, such as a cyst that keeps getting infected. Removal for appearance alone is not normally offered. A lesion that might be cancer is a different matter, and your GP can refer you.
Waterfront is a self-pay hospital. We do not treat patients through private medical insurance.
Who this is not for
- You want the mark gone without a trace. Every removal leaves something: a fine line a little longer than the lesion after excision, or a flat patch that is lighter or darker than the surrounding skin after a shave or freezing.
- You need it never to come back. A shave leaves the base behind, and on our mole removal page regrowth after shaving facial moles is about 1 in 4, from a UK survey (Bong and Perkins, 2003). Full excision makes regrowth much less likely.
- The lesion is changing, bleeding or uncertain. That is a skin cancer assessment, not a cosmetic removal.
- Your cyst is inflamed or infected right now. The usual plan is to let the inflammation settle first and remove the whole sac a few weeks later. Our cyst removal page explains why.
- The lesion is on your chest, shoulders or upper back and you tend to form thick scars. Those sites scar more heavily, and the scar may bother you more than the lesion did.
Is it painful, and how long does it take?
Most removals are done under local anaesthetic and take 30 to 45 minutes including preparation and dressing. The injection stings briefly. Most people go home within the hour and are back at office work the next day. Heavy, dirty or wet jobs need a few days.
The risks are small. On our skin pages, wound infection needing antibiotics is under 1 in 50 (Dixon and colleagues, 2006) and bleeding needing attention is under 1 in 100 (Dixon and colleagues, 2007). If either happens in the first year, treating it is included.
Can I spread the cost?
Finance is available through Omni Capital Retail Finance: interest-free plans over 6 or 10 months, with a deposit of 10 to 50 per cent of the treatment cost, subject to status. You can cancel within 14 days of approval, and repay early at no extra cost. The team can tell you whether your procedure is eligible when you book.
You can book a consultation online or call the team on 0131 376 3785.
Questions patients ask
How much does mole removal cost in Edinburgh? At Waterfront, shave removal of a mole is from £595 and full surgical excision is from £795. Both prices include histology, the laboratory check that confirms what the mole was. Before removal you see a consultant for a £200 consultation, which includes a dermoscopic examination. Several moles in one session are priced after that assessment.
How much does cyst removal cost? Cyst and lipoma removal at Waterfront is from £695 for a small one (under 2cm) and from £895 for a medium one. A large cyst or lipoma (over 5cm) is £1,195 to £2,500, depending on size, depth and site. Histology is included. The £200 consultation is separate, and the final price is confirmed in writing after it.
How much does skin tag removal cost? Skin tag removal at Waterfront is from £395 for the first tag and £100 for each additional tag removed in the same session. The £200 consultation is charged separately. Most tags are removed under local anaesthetic by snipping, snip-and-seal or freezing, and most people go back to work the same day.
Is the consultation included in the removal price? No. The consultation is £200 and is paid when you book it. There are two options, “Skin lesion (benign or skin cancer)” and “Dermatology consultation”, and both cost the same. The consultant examines the lesion with dermoscopy and gives you a recommendation and a written price before anything is booked.
Is histology included in the price? Yes. Wherever a lesion is sent to the laboratory, histology is included in the removal price. Every mole, cyst and lipoma that is cut or shaved off is sent. Freezing does not produce tissue to send, so it is only used when the diagnosis is not in doubt. The consultant who removed the lesion gives you the result.
Can the lesion be removed on the same day as the consultation? Sometimes, for a small lesion where time allows. The usual plan is to book the removal as a separate appointment, normally within two weeks of the consultation, so the procedure is set up properly and you have time to think. A lesion that looks suspicious is removed as a biopsy rather than a cosmetic removal.
Do I need a GP referral, and can I use my insurance? You do not need a GP referral to book at Waterfront, and the consultant can send a summary to your GP if you would like. Waterfront is self-pay and does not treat patients through private medical insurance. If you are worried a mole may be cancer, your GP can also refer you on the NHS.
Can several moles or skin tags be removed in one visit? Often, yes. Each additional skin tag in the same session is £100. Several moles in one session are priced after the consultation, based on the total work involved. Larger lesions, or ones in awkward places, may need separate appointments. Your consultant sets the plan with you.
Ready to talk it through?
Book a consultation online, call the team, or send us a question first.