Mole shaved off - Cotton wool stuck to wound!

Posted , 3 users are following.

HI Guys,

I had a mole shaved off almost a week ago and the doctor (a skin cancer specialist) dressed the wound with cotton and a waterproof cover.  I was advised after 2 days I could remove and re-bandage.  I figured the best way to remove it painlessly would be to uncover it in the shower and it should fall off...It didn't.

It just soaked up the water and was too painful to pull off.  I squeezed as much water out as possible and put a bandaid on top (with room for it to ventilate around the sides) and went about my day.  I read online I should soak for much longer so I did with a warm cloth but still no luck!

My final attempt was to call my doctor but they couldn't put me through and the receptionist advised not to get it wet and instead cover it in a waterproof cover and it will naturally fall of when it needs to.

TLDR;

What should be my course of action?  Should I be leaving the cotton stuck to the mole shave site and wait for it to fall off (will that happen?) or is soaking the way forward.  I was told the wound is superficial and was literally shaved off the surface off the skin.

Really appreciate any responses!

Jack 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Sometimes neosporin helps. You could try dressing it with neosporin for a few days to see if it loosens up. Neosporin should also help with healing. My husband had a skin biopsy and the doctor was having him use neosporin during healing process. 

    I would not continue to soak it. Make sure when you redress it the cotton is not still wet. If you are still concerned pester you doctors  office until you can get a medical professional to answer you question or see you. Honestly you may feel better if the doctor actually saw you. 

  • Posted

    A shave excision normally heals very well. just keep it dry and dont try pulling it off. It will come off quite naturally when the wound has healed. If you pull it off you could make it bleed and then you are back to square one.  Dont use an enclosed waterproof patch as this could make the area moist. Just a bandaid is fine.    
    • Posted

      Hi Marina thanks so much for the reply, you can't imagine how relieved I am!

      Just a question, I shower daily and the cotton wool 'lump' is about the size of a grape, if not with a waterproof dressing how can I keep it dry when showering?

  • Posted

    Hi Jack you dont actually say where the wound is situated. but putting a waterproof patch on in the shower is fine. If its somewhere like arm or leg it sometimes helps to wrap that part of the limb in clingfilm.  As this is now a week ago it should come off soon. 
    • Posted

      Hi Marina, oh yes that would have been helpful info. It's located on my right side between my waist and chest.

      Thank you so much Marina.

      All the best!

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.