(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
Kay Fleitz
Be careful if you have sensitive skin. I followed the directions to get rid of a new mole on my face. Everything was fine after the first treatment. But something went wrong during the second treatment. The mole seemed to dissolve but the area where the cotton ball had been is now red and rough feeling. I don’t have any aloe or coconut oil so I’m going to apply some neosporin before I go to bed.
Vonni
How did it go and by any chance was it a dark mole you started with?
Because mine is. I tried applying it once but in a different method from another site. I put warm water on it for 15-10 minutes. Then I used one side of a Q-Tip and soaked it in the Apple Cider Vinegar. I just kind of rubbed it for awhile with the Q-Tip and it seemed to be working. It kind of looks like it’s dissolving. Under it it was turning red. I was afraid of a scar so I stopped.
What was your experience?
Jenn P
I tried this a few years ago on a mole on my back in it worked so well! It was only a little stingy and painful, nothing compared to the one I had chemically burned off by a doctor that then got infected and cause a big scar. I used brand new Eden brand raw ACV. Later, I tried it again on a different mole with a bottle of Bragg’s brand and it did not work. I am about to buy a new bottle of ACV and will be trying it again as I have at least 5 moles on my neck and face.
Nicole Meacham
I’ve been using Apple cider vinegar on my mole for awhile now the scab is starting to fall off, I was wonder if I put anything on it after the scab is completely off to keep it clean?
Jenn P
When I did this once before, I did not put anything on it as far as ointments. If it’s in a place that will get dirty or bumped like on an arm or foot, I could see putting a bandaid on it during the day.
Shelgy Thomas
I got so many moles in my face. I really want to try this. How many days should I apply ACV on the moles?
Jon
Does it work the same with medical tape and band aids?
Tiffany
I don’t know Jon, we’ve only tried using a cotton ball and band-aid.
Damo
I read this post when researching using apple cider vinegar to remove moles. I decided to 5 moles that I didn’t like, all of them were slightly raised. I used organic ACV & soaked small pieces of cotton wool, I placed these on the moles. I used quite large fabric bandages over the top. I tipped the bottle of acv onto the centre pad of the bandage. I covered the moles at night time. During the day I spayed antiseptic tea tree (diluted so as not to burn the skin) and left them uncovered. After about 5 days the moles all looked blacker. On the first two evenings before applying acv I used an emery board to gently file the top of the moles, I was careful to not break the skin. I covered some of the moles with a bandaid in the day as the surface was red & the moles looked a little like scabs. I showered each morning & evening and patted the moles dry with cotton wool. After 7 days two moles were almost falling off, pink raw skin n was underneath. Today is day 8 and all the moles are gone, they were all a little different but basically the dark mole parts lifted away from the skin and with a little poke from a cotton ball they fell off. Only 1 mole had bleeding. The way the moles came away after 7 to 8 days of this process really surprised me. There are slight indents in the skin where the moles were & some red skin around the area from acv. I was careful to wash my hands and not touch the moles with my fingers during the week. I am really pleased with how this has gone. I’ve had moles removed by laser, freezing & surgical incision. At this point I’d say this is the least destructive process I’ve had to remove moles. I’d had these moles checked by a dr and they didn’t have signs of being melanomas so I was willing to try this DIY.
If you’re going to do this I’d advise you eat well, include zinc supplements and maybe don’t do this if you smoke heavily or have poor circulation as your skin won’t repair as well. Be really careful with hygiene while you’re doing this procedure.
The skin where the moles were looks like it’s healing well. I” really surprised how well this worked for me. In day 4 to day 6 when nothing much seemed to be happening I thought I’d made a mistake. But I continued and had a great result! No more moles!
Michael
Hi there Damo,
I think I will try to use the ACV for a mole on my cheekbone,
but I’m concern about the indents in the skin that you mentioned.
Do you think that’s inevitable for the complete burn of the mole’s root
or I shoud rather apply the ACV for fewer days? Thanks for your help
Damien
Hi Michael,
I’m glad you asked. It’s 2 months since I finished using Apple cider vinegar on 5 moles. Two moles look much better, they’re flatter and lighter and really reduced. They were red for about a month. Before I used ACV they were all quite small and raised.
Two other moles are smaller, and less obvious.
I’m pleased with how these 4 have turned out.
The fifth mole was originally flat, it reduced in size but the scar tissue is more red than the original mole. So maybe I should have left the flat mole alone.
I think the moles I had removed by a doctor with a laser were better results, it really burnt all traces of the mole away.
Michael, I would not remove a mole on my face. That’s my opinion. I think it’s worth putting money aside until you can afford to have a doctor remove it. Even if it takes you a year to save the amount you need, having a scar on your face is a risk with DIY. Google mole removal, there are some very good techniques some doctors use.
If you really can not afford to save the money ever, and if you really hate the look of the mole, and if you are willing to risk having a scar on your face if it goes wrong. Then maybe it’s worth doing. I have no qualifications and I can not give you the right answer.
When it comes to a mole on your face…maybe ACV isn’t the right choice. But, some people have found it works for them. I would not have removed my moles if they were on my face.
This is my opinion. As the original blog article said, see a doctor before you do anything.
I am being cautious with my reply, but I do think my DIY apple cider vinegar was a good result, but it was not a perfect result and I would not try removing a flat mole on my body again.
I hope this answer helps you,
Cheers
Damo
Hilary
I’ve been trying this method on a mole on my shoulder for a month now. It keeps flaking and seems to be separating from the skin a little around the perimeter, but it refuses to die. When it flakes, it bleeds, and it is very sensitive. How long should I keep this up?
Vicki
This really works! Had a mole just “pop” up on my leg and it was getting bigger everyday. Saw this post and decided to try it. It was painless, except for the bandaid. That irritated my skin more than the vinegar. About a week later and it just fell off. I will continue applying vinegar to the area for a few days in hopes that it will not return as some folks have said they may. I am trying it now on an old scar that looks like a boil, hard and ugly. Had it all my life and now I see some changes after applying the vinegar just for a couple of days. Hope it works. Thanks for the great info!!
liza
hi.
7days of using acv to remove my moles… its already black like dry… do you think its working?
mae
hi liza.how’s your mole this time? is it gone using the apple cider?
John
Hey,
So it has been 1-1.5 weeks since I tried this method. Unfortunately, the mole has reappeared.
Should I keep on trying, or will it never disappear?
Have any other people had the same problem?
Tiffany
Has it reappeared in full force? It seems strange that something so slow-growing, would be able to reappear so quickly.
You may want to wait and see what happens, in case the area is just discolored from when you originally removed the mole. The area took a while to heal on my husband. Any questions, check with a medical professional as we are not one.
Kimberly Mauro
Hi there! Before I tried this, I did tons of research on it. It seems to be working for tons of people. I have had a few moles removed by doctors in the past. One botched it up so badly, that I have a 6-stitch scar on my hand. I have a few moles on my back, upper legs and one big one under my arm along my bra line. It had a thin “neck” to it (the part that is attached to the rest of my skin) and the brown part was the width of a bit bigger than a pencil eraser and round. Pretty gross and embarrassing since I was a kid.
It has been 5 days now since starting this. At first, I didn’t protect my surrounding skin. I am burnt all around it. I’m also in tons of pain from this. The mole itself seemed to swell for a day or two, then part of it turned black and scabbed. I guess due to it having a thin neck and big body, it was folding over when I put the soaked cotten over it, so only the outside of it got the ACV. Tonight I put pieces of tissue with ACV on it underneath the mole and then a cotton ball pushing down from the top. I medical taped that down after running the surrounding areas with Vaseline. Oh my gosh. So much pain. Feels like a stabbing pain. I dealt with it. 5 hour later I took everything off (10 min ago) and now the scabbed part of the mole is bleeding!! I don’t know what to do anymore. I was worried because only half of the mole turned black and scabbed. It also seemed to be taking to gravity and bending over, almost as if it was weighed down or that one part was dead.
At this point I’m just in so much pain that I may wait for a few days. I haven’t seen anyone go through this. I figured I’d mention it because I don’t really know what to do. I don’t want to stop and have a half dead mole or something just hanging there. Any suggestions? I want to continue just maybe when my skin heals a bit.
Tiffany
Hi Kimberly,
I’m sorry you’re in pain trying to remove your mole !! It’s very likely because the ACV is directly on the skin, whether on the outside or near the neck. Second, if the mole has turned black, it sounds like it is working – even if it’s partially. The odd shape of your mole may be to blame for some of the difficulties in removing it. You may want to consider letting your skin heal before continuing (if you decide to do so), it may be possible that the small piece left hanging will fall off shortly (on it’s own). Remember, we are not medical professionals, and can only relate to you our own experience.
Georgia
I have been trying this method for about 2-3 days now! ACTUALLY, my mole is almost in the same place on my head, but it is right in my hairline and is by a substantial part of my hair. My biggest problem is I’m having difficulty placing the cotton ball over the mole without getting my hair caught in it! I’ve thought of many ways to try to tape around it and while I can say that my skin around the mole is effectively burning (sunburn style) and I see very slight change in the texture of the mole, it isn’t working as fast as other people seem! I only just now realized that the ACV I’ve been using hasn’t been organic. Though it is naturally made, it is simply 50% apple cidar, 50% vinegar. I had read from other places it wasn’t important as far as mole removal, but maybe I should pick up some organic?
Tiffany
Organic ACV shouldn’t make a difference, but my ACV reads “organic raw apple cider vinegar. 5% acidity.” I haven’t seen any other ACV labels that read 50/50 like you mentioned, so perhaps it could be the ACV? Or it could be the difficulty with your hair too as you mentioned. I’d keep going. It may not work as fast with the environmental factors, but progress is still progress!
Georgia
Yes, it was so strange! It was generic, store brand ACV. I didn’t even realize it until last night that it was half vingegar, half cidar! “A and P” brand ACV must be very, very generic, haha! Today I picked up some Bragg’s at the store and the ingredients are drastically different! I noticed that the mole itself is losing color! I’m going to hit the skin around it with some aloe (I checked it today, I thought it was just a sunburn-ish burn, but it looks like I’ve been holding the skin to a curling iron, eek. Blasted ginger-sensitive skin!) and keep going with the Bragg’s! Hair line makes it hard, but the sooner it’s gone, the better!
James
will regular white vinegar work aswell?
Tiffany
Hi James,
I have never seen white vinegar used in any health remedy so I would not recommend it for removing moles.
Ivan M. Paton
Ivan:
Great post!!!
I am an absolute believer in the benefits of apple cider vinegar for dealing with skin problems. I have been visiting doctors for years and having pre-cancerous skin lesions burnt off with acid, frozen off with nitrogen and zapped off with electricity – they were all painful and expensive. Worse the treatments kept leaving blank little white spots on my face!!!
Finally about 4 years ago I decided to give Apple Cider Vinegar a try out. I reasoned that it was a weak acid. So I soaked small pieces of tissue and applied it to a couple of problem areas on my face that kept recurring. After 3-4 days it will scab up – just like your treatment for you mole – and then when it gets to that stage I stop the treatment, let it dry and it clears up and the skin returns to normal!!!! I have been successfully cleared up 4 spots that kept recurring for years and the doctors treatments never got rid of it. Apple cider vinegar succeeded where the doctors did not!!!
Tiffany
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ivan! Happy to hear that ACV worked for you too! 🙂
John
Day 4: My mole is black in the middle and has a ring of the yellowish color that Mr. Crumbs had in the picture from Day 2.
I don’t know if this is normal or not.
Tiffany
Hi John,
Perhaps it’s just taking longer than others? I wish I could offer more… it’s been a few days – do you have another update?
John
No progress. Still like the Day 2 pictures.
Tiffany
I’m sorry to hear that John. 🙁 Maybe try scratching it? (Although please note that we personally have not tried that yet.)
m
do you think this works for flatter moles? I only have one mole that sticks up off the skin in a noticeable way, but I have many flat or almost flat moles that I’d like to get rid of.
do you think it would work?
Tiffany
Other readers have had success with flat moles by scratching it first. It’s always worth a shot!
John
Day 1: After my first night following the aforementioned procedure, I woke up to a lighter-toned mole just like in the Day 1 pictures. 🙂
What I also noticed was that the area around the mole was darker the day after. Is there anything I can put on the mole to prevent this?
Tiffany
Hi John,
Some people use coconut oil or lotion around the mole to protect the skin. Mr. Crumbs didn’t use anything (not knowing what would happen).
John
Thanks for the post!
One question… did you scratch the mole before applying the ACV?
Tiffany
You’re welcome! We did not, but I’ve that others have. Maybe try it first without scratching, and if nothing happens in 3-4 days give a scratch?
John
Okay, that’s what I was thinking.
Thanks again, and I’ll try my best to give an update soon.
John
Actually, I had another question just as I finished my last post.
Did you feel a sting when you applied the cotton ball of ACV to the mole? I’m guessing not because you didn’t scratch the mole prior to the application.
Tiffany
I don’t think he did, but like you said, he didn’t scratch the mole.
m
will this work with regular white vinegar? or does it have to be apple cider vinegar?
Tiffany
We did not test white vinegar, but I would not recommend it. I have yet to see any home remedy that calls for white vinegar.