Replied By Sandra (Los Angeles, California) on 01/08/2011
Apple cider vinegar did not work for my moles. I have many moles, mostly flat ones that blend in with my freckles, but the three raised moles on my stomach and chest were prominent, gross, and had to go. I was very hopeful, too, as I want to spend this summer in a bikini instead of my usual tankini or one-piece (yes, I'm that self-conscious about my moles). Seeing all of the success that other people had with apple cider vinegar, I decided to try it myself. I bought organic, unfiltered ACV (5% diluted) and began the routine application of roughing up the surface and then applying ACV to the mole; I did this every twelve hours, leaving a band-aid with a bit of ACV on it to cover the mole.In the first few days, I didn't notice any difference, other than mild irritation.
On the third day, the moles began to swell, and I thought, “Yes, some results! ” I may have celebrated too early. On the fourth day, the moles had swollen still, about twice their original sizes, and they were incredibly painful to the touch. Each application of ACV was a nightmare - it felt like I was dabbing on hot coals. But I was determined, maybe a little hard-headed. I was sure that, with so many others achieving success, that it was only a matter of time before my moles gave up the fight and fell off.
On the fifth day, my moles were swollen to three times (no exaggeration! ) their original sizes and blistered all over! I had to take OTC pain relievers all day, and couldn't sleep on my stomach at night.On the sixth day, the blisters burst with pus, the swelling pushed the skin to the limit, and the moles split open and bled. And if you've ever nicked a mole before, you'll know those suckers bleed so much, you'd think they had their own little hearts! I don't think I have to tell you that it didn't tickle. I called it quits.
After another few days of pain and at the first signs of infection, I went to the doctor. It turns out I gave myself second-degree chemical burns on my moles (thankfully, careful application of the ACV spared the surrounding skin). The moles had to be cut out, which is what I wanted to avoid in the first place, except I could have spared myself a week of torture! If ACV works for you, great (although I'm sending every bit of jealousy I have your way), but beware if you start to have a reaction like mine. I think I'll leave any future mole removals to a doctor from now on.
Replied By Brenda (Springfield, Il) on 01/08/2011
I think it depends on the type of mole. The first mole I used ACV on was small and flat. It was gone in a couple of days. The second mole was larger and raised. I had the swelling, blistering, hurting too. I didn't continue because it scared me. It healed up and I haven't tried it again... I have tons of moles I'd love to be rid of though. I may get brave enough to try it again someday but not too soon.Replied By Tinam (Brisbane, Australia, Qld) on 04/12/2011
Technically, removing a mole with ACV is burning if off. If you go to a skin cancer clinic or a dermatologist, they will tell you that some moles are not able to be removed by burning. I have had 8 moles removed surgically as they were not appropriate for burning. I have started using ACV on 6 moles with various results. One has completely collapsed into a crater. It is extremely painful, with pain under the skin in one direction only. I assume this is the root that is deeper in the dermal layer. So far it is working on 3 of the moles, which are becoming flatter, but the other 3 just have darkening, but no reduction in size and it's only the top of them that are turning black. This is from a skin cancer clinic website, which may explain why some people are having their moles grow back. "Shaving A raised mole is sliced flush with the skin's surface. Because a shaved mole's "roots" are left in the skin, the mole may grow back. You can expect a faint, mole-shaped scar.
Excision A mole is cut out of the skin entirely, roots and all, never to return. A dermatologic or plastic surgeon will use special stitching techniques to minimize scarring. Expect to be left with a fine line that's slightly longer than your mole. The scar should fade after a year and can be further minimized with a laser treatment at that time."
I think you can expect scarring when burning a mole off with ACV as well. I would treat with Lucas Paw Paw ointment (or any other type of Papaya ointment), Vitamin E oil, and I have read several recommendations for Aloe Vera (raw).
Replied By Tinam (Brisbane, Qld) on 04/19/2011
An update on my progress with removing my moles with ACV. I have had success with 2 moles, but it has taken about 2 weeks as opposed to 2 days. I'm still going on another 3, which are very slowly (and I mean very slowly) getting smaller. It is a pretty painful process and I'm not entirely sure that getting them sliced off isn't actually easier. Also, because I have been using plasters on them and I'm really not having a great reaction to the plasters. The skin is red raw from the plasters and yesterday when I removed one, it took a chunk of skin off too, which was very painful. ACV works, definitely better on some moles than others, but you need to be really committed to this, and like I said, I think it would have been easier to get them surgically sliced off.Replied By Lilgreenie (Marietta, Ga, Usa) on 07/05/2012
The apple cider vinegar remedy for moles WORKS!! I am a 26 year old female who has a lot of moles (as does everyone in my family). I had several of the more unsightly ones that annoyed me removed as a teenager. Nowadays, getting moles removed for cosmetic reasons is out of my budget. I had one raised, round, dark brown mole on my upper arm (about 3/4 the size of a pencil eraser) that I just hated. A couple of weeks ago, I read about the apple cider vinegar method for removing moles on this site. With so many "YEA" ratings, I was extremely curious and decided to try this method out before going to a dermatologist and shelling out my hard-earned money to get my mole cut off. On the first day, I gently scrubbed the mole with a nail file to "rough it up" as suggested on this site. This was a little uncomfortable, but I did it for less than one minute and stopped before the mole bled. I then surrounded the mole with a petroleum jelly-based salve to protect the skin, and then applied the inexpensive, grocery store brand ACV to the mole using pointed q-tips (the kind that are made for applying/removing make-up) for precision, holding it firmly in place for a few minutes (this stung quite a bit, but was still less painful than the dermatologist's work! ). It turned red. I repeated this process once a day for about five days. Each day, the mole would become dryer, flatter, and darker. Eventually, it dried out completely, the edges turned up, and it loosened from my skin (after approximately 6-7 days) and fell off. Now, all that is left is a crater in the shape of the mole. The skin around the area is rather red, as I didn't do the best job of applying the petroleum jelly each time I applied the ACV. Make sure you apply it carefully and thoroughly each time you apply the ACV in order to protect the skin. It looks like it is healing, though. I am now restarting the process on two moles on my next.
I highly recommend this remedy, as it really works!! If you have a suspicious mole, however, see your dermatologist to rule out melanoma. If a mole is simply bothering you for cosmetic reasons, ACV is the way to go!!