The only way to remove a nevus is to surgically excise it. With Large Nevi, this can require multiple surgeries, and for very large nevi this may not even be possible. For this reason, many people with Large Nevi choose to watch their nevi closely for changes rather than have them removed. Some nevi can be surgically removed. Smaller moles can be removed by a single surgical excision.
Larger moles require the replacement of the excised skin in one form or another.
This technique, know as tissue expansion, increases the amount of skin that can be used to cover an excised nevus. Lasers and chemical peels have also been shown to temporarily lighten some nevi. Since they do not remove the nevus cells, these methods are normally used for aesthetic purposes. There is no known way to prevent Giant Nevi, or to inhibit the development of nevi on the skin or in the central nervous system after birth. We are a network of people whose lives have been touched by having or knowing someone with a Giant Nevus.