Ask Dr. Schultz
My skin is pink around the area where a mole was removed. Is this normal?
I had a mole removed, and after the stitches were taken out and the wound healed, my skin was pink. Is this normal? How can I make the skin return to it’s normal (not red) color?
The reason for pinkness is that your body is still bringing nutrients to the area for more repair (since the nutrients are in the blood, and the body is bringing extra red blood to the area, you see the extra blood as a pink color). This pinkness can persist for up to six months, after which it’s probably not helping anymore. If the pink hasn’t disappeared after six months, then it can be removed by a painless laser treatment by your dermatologist. One thing that’s very important while the pink is gradually fading is strict sun protection (best with chem free sunscreens) because the sun can easily turn the pink into a brown color and then you would have to bleach the brown spot.