What should you know about removing a dermatofibroma?

A dermatofibroma can be removed by surgical excision when it is bothersome, changing, or not confidently identified by examination. Because the growth extends into deeper skin, removal may leave a scar and is not always needed for a typical, stable lesion.

A dermatofibroma is a firm, often small nodule that may look pink, brown, or darker than nearby skin. It can feel tethered when pinched and may follow a minor injury or insect bite, although a clear trigger is not always present. A clinician may compare it with other skin lumps and decide whether examination alone is enough or whether tissue should be assessed.

Surgical excision removes the nodule through an incision under local anaesthetic, with closure and wound-care instructions afterward. Discuss the expected scar, the position of the lesion, activity restrictions, and whether the removed tissue will be sent for laboratory examination. Do not shave, burn, or repeatedly squeeze the nodule. Photographing a changing lesion can help your clinician compare its appearance over time.

Arrange a review if the nodule grows, changes colour, becomes persistently painful, bleeds, ulcerates, or develops an unusual border. After removal, contact the clinic for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pus, wound separation, or bleeding that continues despite pressure.

Ask how confident the diagnosis is, whether observation is reasonable, where the scar will sit, how the wound will be closed, and whether laboratory examination is recommended.