This time last week I visited  The Harley Street Dermatology Clinic and met with Consultant Dermatolgist Dr Adam Friedmann for the first time. The reason for my visit? The two moles on my face that I have long disliked and wish I could get rid of. I wrote about why in this post when I got back from my appointment seven days ago.

And this was how I looked before I visited the clinic and met with Dr friedmann again today for the second time.

I had two moles, one under my nose and one by my eye. Dr Friedmann says they are called Introdermal Naevus. They were benign but unslightly. Pale in colour they reminded me of witches warts and I was always conscious of them. The main reason for wanting them gone was because to me they look bad and I know it’s vain but we all have our little vanities I’m sure; I don’t think I was unjustified in wanting them gone. On top of the vanity the one under my nose would often hurt when I had a cold. It would get so sore and sometimes bleed if I was blowing my nose constantly which only drew attention to it all the more.

Today, my second appointment at the clinic Dr Friedmann removed them. It was quick, it was painless and now I know they are gone! I know because I saw them in a jar!

Off to the lab they are now! Just to be checked. We know they’re benign, Dr Friedmann has many years of experience to be able to tell me that but legally this is what happens next!

I arrived at the clinic this morning hopeful that when I left I would feel great and I did. The building on famous Harley Street in London is lovely. I find buildings and how they are decorated, hopefully with original features, very interesting. It’s quiet inside but not eerie. There are magazines to read, flowers and the surrounds are appealing to the eye. All relaxing and all very in keeping with the service I have experienced, gentle, nothing to worry about and calming.

I was called in to see the Dr where he chatted with me about what he would do, numb the areas with a very small needle and then wipe it before slicing them off. Jimmy was crying so he was very kind and just saw another patient in between our chat and me getting Jimmy to sleep and he also looked at Jimmy’s dermatitis and said it was fine and nothing to worry about. He gave me some good tips and advice about bath time and how to treat his skin too. I don’t think it’s that bad but it was good to hear a dermatologist say the same.

Back in the room with a sleeping baby and I took a quick picture of myself for a before picture. I lay down on the bed and felt the slightest stinging sensation with each injection. I’ve had two babies naturally with just gas and air, torn ridiculously badly, been sewn up in my living room, again with just gas and air, got a massive infection that lasted 8 weeks and had every Gyne in East London prod and poke me down below. This was a walk in the park I tell you!

And then Dr Friedmann removed the moles. It didn’t hurt. It was an odd sensation but not terribly unpleasant and it was quick. The one by my eye took a bit longer but then quick as a flash he was letting me know that I can keep plasters on them for 24 hours then remove them or re-apply them as I wish. I am to bathe them in cooled boiled water and it should take around 7-10 days for the black area to fall off. Basically where the skin is quarterised it looks black, just like a flat dark mole. To be honest I prefer this even to the lumpy moles that were there before! He had explained that sometimes moles are dark underneath and that I may scar with a flat brown mark but it was highly unlikely and after the removal he said there was nothing to indicate this would be so. I am hoping they will be pink and fade in time to white which is the best case scenario.

I don’t have my moles anymore. I walked back to the tube with people looking at the plasters but I don’t care. Funny as it sounds I already think I look better? And that’s with black quarterised marks, a line of blood on the inside of the skin down my nose and plasters! Dr Friedmann explained sometimes the blood runs down inside the skin and can give the appearance of a black eye or similar. I have a line of blood down my nose and I’ll look like I have a grubby mark for a few days – big deal!

I left with the biggest smile on my face!

This is me today. Before. Just after with my plasters and at home where I removed the plasters for the briefest time just for a picture.

I’m not worried and although I can feel it ever so slightly it’s not really painful. There seems to be a slight ridge where the mole started just under my nose and I wonder if this will go down or stay? We shall see. I know on the website there is an area for patients to log into and check what they should be doing regarding after care and if I happen to get an infection (just as I did when I had my labour tears) then I can see Dr Friedmann or even just my own GP. My own GP will be kept informed and sent a pathology report from the lab when they’ve tested my moles and I would happily just visit him should I need antibiotics but it’s unlikely, I was unlucky when I had Jimmy. If I do get an infection so be it, antibiotics will clear it up. I shouldn’t need to go back to the Harley Street Clinic at all now, it should all just be healing time!

So, that’s it! For now! My next post will be to show you what they look like once they have healed a bit!

I’m over the moon!