(Updated 5/18/2017)
This is our personal story of how we removed a mole. We are not medical professionals, nor should this post be construed as medical advice.
Mrs. Crumbs and I have come to really like using apple cider vinegar (ACV) for a variety of reasons, including a daily detox drink and as a homemade produce wash. We even figured out how to make our own homemade apple cider vinegar!
We’re all about using homemade remedies whenever possible. We’ve healed spider bites using a potato, healed acne with bentonite clay, created flea and tick dog collars with essential oils, made our own homemade bug repellents and even figured out how to heal gum disease naturally.
Today, we’re documenting an apple cider vinegar mole removal tutorial.
THE MOLE (before)
If you can’t tell by the look on my face, I’m not exactly thrilled to have these “epic” photos on the internet. But it is important to display the magnitude of how large this mole grew over the years. I’m also willing to suffer for the greater good of everyone else removing moles with apple cider vinegar at home.
For as long as I can remember, this mole started out as a tiny speck near my ear. Obviously it has grown substantially over my 30+ years on earth.
This mole constantly got in the way of haircuts and would ALWAYS get nicked by clippers. It also caused my hair to grow sideways – yes, parallel with the ground (which was very annoying). Just a few days after a haircut, there would be 3 or 4 hairs sticking far out of my head because of this mole!
To make matters worse, every year I went to the doctor for a physical, the doctor would always say “let me remove that for you” or “let me zap it!” No, thank you. It wasn’t changing color and having it frozen off my head didn’t sound fun.
“No,” I replied. “It’s not hurting anything.”
Wanting the doctor to leave “the mole” alone, I set out to find a more natural or holistic way to remove this guy. “How to remove moles naturally” led to all sorts of Google generated responses, from expensive topical creams to using alcohol. Apple cider vinegar mole removal is a pretty common one too.
Plus we had some high quality apple cider vinegar in the kitchen cabinet. It seemed to be the least painful method, so Mrs. Crumbs and I thought it was worth a shot.
A Quick Side Note on the Quality of Apple Cider Vinegar…
When it comes to natural remedies, it’s good practice to use the highest quality ingredients you can find, and afford. As the level of processing goes up, the benefits of ingredients goes down. So ideally, you want your ingredients to be raw and unprocessed whenever possible.
Adding factors like non-GMO and organic are good, but they’re not necessary and they make the price tag go up.
For this apple cider vinegar mole removal, it means using vinegar that is raw AND contains the mother. It’s available locally in most areas, but I’ve found the best prices online. As of this posting:
- Amazon – Viva Naturals is 42¢ per ounce and if you have Prime, it has free 2-day free shipping. (If you don’t have Prime, you can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial of Amazon Prime right here.)
- Thrive Market – The famous Bragg apple cider vinegar is 18¢ per ounce, but if you don’t care about brands, the Thrive Market brand is the best bet at just 14¢ per ounce. Thrive Market requires a yearly membership. Click here to see the Exclusive Offer for Crumbs readers!
Various sites returned different protocols and instructions on how to implement the apple cider vinegar method. Not wanting a band aid on my head at work, we decided that the apple cider vinegar mole removal process could be done at night while sleeping.
Apple Cider Vinegar Mole Removal Tutorial
How to Remove Moles with Apple Cider Vinegar: Supplies
- Cotton balls
- Apple Cider Vinegar (see notes above)
- Band-Aids
How to Remove Moles with Apple Cider Vinegar: Method
- Dip half a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar, saturating yet squeezing out excess.
- Apply the cotton ball on top of mole.
- Use a band-aid to secure cotton ball over mole.
- Leave the secured cotton ball on the mole for up to 8 consecutive hours each day.
- Continue steps 1 though 4 until mole scabs up and falls off.
Note: Although weak, apple cider vinegar is acidic and it may cause skin sensitivity. Using apple cider vinegar to remove a mole also creates a “wound” on your skin, just like a scrape or a cut. Treat it like a wound, keep it clean and use your best judgement as it continues to heal.
Doesn’t that sound better than having a doctor freeze it off? Mrs. Crumbs would apply the saturated cotton ball right before bed time and would remove it in the morning before going to work the next day. The first morning the mole looked “white.”
Day 2 of Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment
The mole turned darker again during the day, but by day 3 it started scabbing up and “crusting over.”
Day 3 of Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment
Day 4 of Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment
After day 4, we decided not to apply any more ACV to the area. We weren’t really sure what was going on, but it appeared to be working.
Additionally, the area around the mole became a little red from the vinegar because it’s acidic.
One Month After Treatment
This method was painless. Maybe a little irritation from ripping the band-aid off of my scalp, or from the apple cider vinegar on the skin, but it was easy and I would definitely do it again.
Note: Although I did not experience any skin sensitivity to the ACV, some readers who tried this felt some burning and skin irritation. Using Aloe Vera or Coconut Oil around the mole before or after application of the ACV may help. If you experience pain that seems out of the ordinary quit treatment immediately and let your skin heal.
Here are a couple of shots of what the area looks like now six months later (with my hair shaved extra short so you can get a good look):
And that’s it!
UPDATE: Here’s another couple of shots, now 8-9 months later.
A funny side note: when I mentioned to a family member that we were going to attempt to remove moles ourselves, they were completely against it. Once we told them we were only using apple cider vinegar to remove the mole, their tone of voice changed and they figured “what’s the worst that could happen.”
And that was pretty much our view too, until it worked!
The apple cider vinegar mole removal process appears to be relatively safe, and you are not applying harsh chemicals on your skin. If you are looking for an alternative to mole removal, you might want to give this a try!
Other Non-food Related Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar:
- Facial Toning: Mix 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar with 1 – 3/4 cup water (Mrs. Crumbs has done this and liked it.)
- Treat Sinus Infections: Mix 1 tsp apple cider vinegar with 2-3 Tbsp water, gargle for 30 seconds and swallow. Repeat every hour for the first 6 hours, then every 2 (except while sleeping). Repeat until symptoms subside and the body heals itself. (I’ve actually done this myself. The sinus infection took about a full week to heal – which was how long it took to see a doctor – but I was able to heal it myself and the doctor confirmed it!) (ACV is shown to have anti-microbial effects)
- Manage Seasonal Allergies: Similar to treating a sinus infection with apple cider vinegar, mix 1 tsp with 2-3 Tbsp water, gargle for 30 seconds, and swallow. Repeat twice daily, or up to four times for more severe allergies. (Mrs. Crumbs did this and her symptoms were gone within two days).
- Rid Croup: My son had a strange cough that included no other symptoms. We waited for a week to see if the cough would go away, but it didn’t. It was harsh, loud and often. We gave him the same remedy as the sinus infection and his cough had reduced significantly within one day and was completely gone within three.
- Regular Immune and Detoxification Support: ACV contains polyphenols and polysaccharides, which help boost the immune system. Try it in a daily drink like this DIY Apple Cider Vinegar Drink.
- Bug Repellent: We make our own bug repellent with essential oils (Plant Therapy oils are a great option. You can find their shop here.). However, readers have suggested that drinking just 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar on a daily basis has kept bugs away too!
- Homemade Conditioner: Just 1 tablespoon and warm water can replace your typical shampoo. Not only does it work, but this will save you TONS of money too!
The anti-infective properties of ACV are amazing! The studies on vinegar show that it can help with a wide variety of infectious issues. Anytime you’re thinking about healing something naturally, definitely consider apple cider vinegar!
I removed a mole with apple cider vinegar!
- I know it sounds a little crazy, but it works!
- Typically we make our own apple cider vinegar using this method, but for this home remedy I used Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar. (You can find it for a great price HERE.) I also recommend this brand and this one for their quality.
- I also recommend a little aloe vera or coconut oil around the mole you are trying to remove. This helps with any sensitivity you may experience from the ACV.
I LOVE when one item serves multiple purposes. Apple cider vinegar is no exception! I use it in the kitchen for cooking, but also homemade conditioner, a detox elixir, and now mole removal!
Written by Mr. Crumbs
Austin
Wow, it really worked! I surrounded the flat mole with vaseline (but should have surrounded it a little closer in hindsight). The whole area got pretty red after two nights of the method, and took about 4 days to scab over and fall off, but now the mole is basically gone! Just a bit of over pigmentation, but I applied some aloe and hopefully it’ll get lighter with time.
Jai
Hello, I just have to say thanks for this blog! I have a few moles that have been driving me insane!!!! They just popped up during pregnancy and the one I had before had gotten BIG. I hated them. I tried the cotton ball and tape then bandaid but it hurt my skin and didn’t see much success. I think it was the part of my body it was on the tape didn’t hold well. Yesterday I decided to just use a few q tips dipped in avc and applied pressure while watching a movie. I’d push pretty hard and then re-dip my q tip until it bent and then used a new one. By the end of the movie the mole turned black and flat!!!! (And this mole was rather large. Much larger than your husbands. You could literally grab it between your fingers!) Today I worked on a mole on my side. This one took a little longer, but still only a day. I find that using the q tip works because I’m not making the rest of my skin raw with tape or avc. I would recommend trying this way if you have a weekend and a movie to watch! I am now covering it with Neosporin and waiting for it to scab and fall off. I appreciate your blog. Even though mole removal with avc is all over the internet. This was well documented and why I gave it a try! Thanks!
Haley
I have used Apple Cider Vinegar to get rid of warts! I used the same method and it fell off in 2 days 🙂
Tiffany
Awesome! Thanks Haley!
Rachael Perry
Apple Cider Vinegar really has a lot of health benefits. I haven’t heard about its effectiveness in treating moles, but I’ll have to look into it a bit further.
Tiffany
Proof is in the pictures Rachael. 😉
Forest Middleton
Thanks for the tips I will be trying this on one or more of my moles. Also I have had two kidney stones and I reduced pain and length of discomfort by mixing apple cider vinegar with a glass of water several times a day. It tastes pretty bad but it helps brake the stones down so that your body can pass them easier.
Leslie
Forest, for your Kidney Stones you can also take a glass of water with 2 large tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2 tablespoons of lemon (fresh lemon). I know this is off the topic of this post…but I just wanted to share that since I get them too and it helps them pass in some people. I also use Bragg’s ACV for stones.
Tiffany
Thanks Leslie!
Tiffany
You’re welcome Forest! Thanks for the tip on kidney stones 🙂
Kayla
Hi , I have done the acv method and it scabbed up and fell off however just wondering how long until it heals and also is there a chance it will grow back as I used the castor oil method a while ago and it worked but grew back! And do you recommend anything to prevent it from growing back?
Tiffany
Hi Kayla,
You can see in the pictures above what Mr. Crumbs’ mole looked like at 1 month and then a follow up several months later. There’s no telling specifically how long it’ll take to heal, but it should be doing better within a week or two like any other wound. As for growing back, I honestly have no clue! It’s kinda as random as to why some moles are extra stubborn. However, no one has yet come back to this post to say they used ACV and their mole grew back… !
Maria
I am also going to try the apple cider vinegar on a few moles. Will keep you posted.
Tiffany
Looking forward to it Maria!
Leslie P
I am mole heaven – flat, raised…etc. even those pesky blood filled dots..ewww – I inherited it from my mom. By doing this I just hope I don’t get “craters” from them all. Thank you for showing photos of your experiment.
Tiffany
You’re welcome Leslie!
Nick
Really like what you’re doing here on crumbs! just have a little question. I’m sitting here reaking of vinegar and I’ve been doing this for a couple of nights in a row on a flat mole on my chest. But it doesnt seem to go any further than it has on the “day two picture” in your guide here. And that makes me wonder if my vinegar is strong enough? It says on the back of the bottle that its 5% “strong” vinegaracid. You think that should do the trick? I couldnt find anything stronger.
I should add that I couldnt find an unfiltered and/or organic brand of ACV.. Could that be the reason its going so slow?
Thanks in advance!
Greetings from Stockholm, Sweden!
Tiffany
Thanks so much Nick!
Our ACV says 5% too, so I’m betting that’s industry standard. The filtration/organic variety shouldn’t make a difference in effectiveness (we just recommend organic and unfiltered because there’s no chance for the body to filter out anything bad before absorption).
The ACV method works for most moles, but there’s always a chance it won’t work too – for no particular reason unfortunately. If I were in your shoes, I’d give it about a week of treatment before throwing in the towel. If you see no difference after that, it just may be one of those stubborn moles that ACV won’t work on. 🙁
PS – love that you’re visiting from Sweden!
Nick
Thank you for the quick reply, Tiffany and Selena! Then it seems that my mole is just a stubborn one 🙂 I’ll continue a couple of treatments more to see what happens. Its a flat 0.2 by 0.2 inches in size so I guess its slightly bigger than average (for me anyways). Is there some kind of “tell” to show you when youve done enough treatments? Cause I guess its not too good to go on for too long since its acid after all.
Selena, I too did stray a bit from the method described here and did something along your lines. I scratched the mole a bit before applying the ACV the first time since it didnt do anything at all if I didnt scratch it. What kind of bandage did you use by the way? I’ve noticed that my bandages stick fairly hard to the skin, but doesnt stop ACV from leaking inbetween the adhesive and the skin affecting the surrounding areas aswell, and then when removing the bandage the adhesive takes small bits of skin with it because the surrounding skin has been affected by the acv too. Kinda hard to explain, but afterwards it looks like there are tiny cuts around the mole. I tried thumbing the adhesive on the bandage before applying to make the bandage easier to remove, but that only makes it harder to get it to stick without excess ACV bleedin through all over the place.
Sorry for the long post. But I’m not very good at explaining stuff with short sentences 🙂
Selena
Hey Nick! I use the First Aid bandages from Walmart. Lol. Are you talking about like your bandage is too small that the sticky part(the flaps)are partly touching your affected area? I usually put like lotion before I go to bed/ put on the bandage so I let the lotion almost dry and then put on the bandage so there the glue from the handles don’t completely stick on to my skin. I think this is the question you’re asking about?? Sorry if it isn’t. Lol.
Nick
Hi Selena! Where I live unfortunatly we dont have Walmart. I continued the treatment with a few adjustments. I read on some other source thet they only applied the ACV for an hour or so once in the morning and once before bed. I put vaseline around the mole and then just kinda laid the ACV cottonswab on the mole and it stuck there by itself (cause of the surrounding vaseline and cause it was wet from the ACV I guess). Had it on for a few hours without any bandages. that was a few days ago. stopped applying the acv since it was starting to look like an ordinary scab. and last night in the shower the mole fell right off! 😀 so I too can confirm that ACV works on Flat moles! Mine was around 0.75×0.75 cm2 in size. Its too early to see if it’ll be any scarring but I will try to remember to let you guys know in a couple of weeks! Do you guys have any tips on anything to help the healing process/reduce chance of scarring? anything that can be bought over the counter at the drugstore or something?
And once again, huge thanks for this guide that made it possible for me to get rid of my mole! This was the first in line to go! But it wont be the last 🙂 Mr. and Mrs. Crumbs, You Are Awesome!
Tiffany
Great news Nick! Tea tree oil in general helps to speed up the healing process and reduce scarring, but we haven’t tested in on a mole yet. Feel free to be the guinea pig. 😉 This one runs about $13 for 2oz on Amazon, but you can find it locally as well. Don’t let the price tag scare you – you’ll use SO LITTLE that the bottle will literally last you years, and it’s good for any type of skin abrasion/cut. I’ve had mine for 10+ years now and I think I just hit half-way, lol. And you are most welcome!!
Selena
Hi Nick! I actually removed a flat mole using apple cider vinegar, but I slightly changed the process from what Mr. Crumbs did. I searched up how to remove a mole on google and there were these other websites that had different ways and I decided to try them. What I basically did was scratch the surface of my flat mole with a sterile pin and dipped ACV on a Q-tip and bandaged it on. On the first day you put ACV on the newly scratched mole, there will be a tiny sting, but it will be worth it as by doing this, I only needed to put ACV on my mole for three nights instead of a week. Remember, I only scratched it one time (the first night I put ACV). So after three consistent nights of putting ACV on a Q-tip and bandaging it overnight, by the fourth day, it was slightly red and more black and it stood out among the other moles, but that is normal. So after the third night, it was pretty redish and so for the next couple of days, i just left it as is and let it scab. the bigger the mole, the longer it takes to scab but since mine was small/okay size, it took me three days for the mole to fall off. Reminder, don’t pick the scab, let it fall naturally! So once the mole fell, there was a red hyperpigmentation, but that is at least better than a black mole and plus, it’s easier to cover with foundation than a black dot lol. Im not saying this will definitely work for you cause everyone’s mole is different, but this is just from my personal experience. My moles were like sunspot moles lol. Anyways, best of luck!
Bonnie
So excited to have found this! looks like an awesome website you guys have here. Gonna try the ACV and see what happens 🙂
Tiffany
We’re glad to have you Bonnie! Keep us updated on your mole progress!
Cain
I have heard about gel “dermatix”, it heals scars, will it work to remove redness? I am going to buy it.
best regards, Cain
Tiffany
I haven’t heard anything about “Dermatix” Cain, but if you try it, let us know how it goes!
Cain
Hello,
is it possible to get rid of redness at the place where the mole was removed?
best regards, Cain
Selena
yeah i removed a flat mole and there’s a dark red hyperpigmentation there. i mean eventually it’s going to fade out over time but it will take a very very long time for me. i bought this thing called glycolic acid and it’s supposed to exfoliate the skin so that place can heal faster. i haven’t tried it yet but i hope it speeds up the process!
Tiffany
I’ve heard of glycolic acid in use for acne, but not in other areas of skin care yet. Let us know how your experiments go Selena. My husband’s has faded significantly now 9 months later. You may want to consider giving it a month or two to see what happens. Maybe it’ll heal sooner than you think!
Eddi
Just wanted to give a quick update on the mole on my neck.
Not too happy with the result on my end. 🙁
Just doesn’t appear to be working for me(After 7 days of doing this)
Tiffany
I’m sorry to hear that Eddi 🙁 At least you gave it a shot though! I’ve also seen videos using black salve to remove tumors and moles and such. Not easy to watch, but they seem effective. That could be a route if you wanted to continue home treatment. (Know that we haven’t tried black or yellow salve though, so I can’t speak from personal experience – just what others have posted here and my own reading.)
Carl
I would [b]NOT[/b] recommend using black salve to anyone unless they have cancer, tumor, etc. I would NOT use on a mole though!!! It is very dangerous stuff to use and extremely painful.
dawn
Does it work on flat moles??
Selena
yes dawn. it does work on flat moles. i tried it already! xD
Leslie P
Selena, did you get a crater from the flat ones or they simply flaked away leaving the skin without a trace of a flat mole?
Selena
Hey Leslie! For the flat moles, there are no craters, just skin flaked away showing some hyperpigmentation spots. Hyperpigmentation spots are a lot easier to cover with foundation/concealer than a black dot, however, for me those hyperpigmentation spots take a long time to fade and I have like 8 flat moles on my face. Sigh. Best of luck!
Beth
Did it!! I have had a little mole in my armpit my entire life. It has never changed, but occasionally I shave over it and knick it a teeny bit. So, i tried this and it is GONE!!!! Next, one on my back that is right at my bra strap line and is annoying. I CAN’T WAIT!!!
Tiffany
Congratulations Beth!!
Beth
Aaaaand the one on my back is gone, too!! Eeekk!! I love this method!
Tiffany
Way to go Beth!! WOO-HOO!
JulieM
After reading your post–I tried this on a mole on my forehead. I’ll admit I was nervous about trying it on such a “public” place, but I couldn’t deny your results. After few nights, the mole turned black. A day or two after that, I absentmindedly rubbed my forehead and felt something fall to the floor. I ran to look in a mirror and the mole was gone! The mext day ir felt like a small bump had returned but while washing my face it fell off and nothing has come back! There is no indentation–just flat forehead! I showed my doctor and she didn’t believe a mole had ever been there! This was wonderful. Thank you so much for posting this–I have wanted that mole removed for decades, but I was afraid of the dent the dermatologist would leave behind. Thank you, thank you! And to think, I came to your blog because we love Nourishing Traditions and wanted to hear other experiences people were having with it and now I hove gotten so much more from you. Keep blogging–we look forward to each new posting!
Tiffany
JULIE! Congratulations on a successful mole removal! How awesome that you have no remnants at all!
Thank you for your kind and encouraging words – it brings such a smile to my face! 🙂 As the journey continues, I look forward to seeing more of you! ~Tiffany
Daniel
Wow, that was a bold experiment on your part and thank you for your effort into capturing everything in images, keeping track of the effects and posting everything on your blog for us to learn from. Glad that everything worked out perfectly. In the initial pictures it started to look quite ugly to be honest, i thought that would leave a mark of something…
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Daniel!
2Scoops
You do not need organic acv. I bought the Kroger brand for $1.29. So far I’ve removed 4 moles.
Tiffany
Hi there,
Non-organic ACV shouldn’t be less effective, but we recommend organic simply because you’re applying it directly to the skin. ~Tiffany
Cain
Hi Tiffany,
I will try to find Braggs ACV, but if I won’t find it, will it be ok to use any other ACV, I mean not organic?
Best regards,
Cain
Tiffany
Hi Cain,
All ACV’s should work the same when it comes to removing moles, but we recommend organic simply because you’re applying it directly to the skin. The skin is the largest organ in the body and doesn’t have any built in defense mechanisms like our digestive system does. Non-organic ACV shouldn’t be less effective. 🙂 ~Tiffany
KK
Hi Tiffany,
I love that you answer almost reply! I have a mole that appeared about 10 years ago right underneath my eyebrow. It has grown in size and I consider it gross. I very much want to try the ACV method, but too am a bit concerned about an indentation left on my face. It still would probably better than this hidious mole, though!:) I too love Braggs, though currently have Trader Joe’s ACV in my cupboard. You keep refereing to Braggs having the “mother”. I am wondering what this is. I will give this method a go!! Glad I can do it only at night. Love, love, love natural remedies!!!
Blessings,
KK
Tiffany
LOL, interacting with you guys is my favorite part. 🙂 The indentation on my husband’s face has noticeably decreased over time. I’ve heard that yellow salve to help it fill in, but we haven’t tried that yet so can’t say that it works for sure. “The Mother” is the cloudy substance – it’s the good bacteria that causes vinegar to form in the first place. Some brands filter it out, but it’s actually really good to keep it in the vinegar since it’s like a bit of concentrated goodness. 🙂 Good luck KK – we really do like to read how the removals go, so please keep us updated! ~Tiffany