▁with ▁a ▁personal ▁or ▁family ▁history ▁of ▁skin ▁cancer ▁or ▁of ▁d ys pl astic ▁nev us ▁synd rome ▁( multiple ▁at yp ical ▁mol es ) ▁should ▁see ▁a ▁der mat ologist ▁at ▁least ▁once ▁a ▁year ▁to ▁be ▁sure ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁developing ▁mel an oma . ▁ ▁Bi ops y ▁ ▁When ▁an ▁at yp ical ▁mole ▁has ▁been ▁identified , ▁a ▁skin ▁bi ops y ▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁best ▁diagn ose ▁it . ▁Local ▁an est h etic ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁num b ▁the ▁area , ▁then ▁the ▁mole ▁is ▁bi ops ied . ▁The ▁bi ops y ▁material ▁is ▁then ▁sent ▁to ▁a ▁labor atory ▁to ▁be ▁evaluated ▁by ▁a ▁path ologist . ▁A ▁skin ▁bi ops y ▁can ▁be ▁a ▁p unch , ▁sh ave , ▁or ▁complete ▁exc ision . ▁The ▁complete ▁exc ision ▁is ▁the ▁preferred ▁method , ▁but ▁a ▁p unch ▁bi ops y ▁can ▁suff ice ▁if ▁the ▁patient ▁has ▁cos met ic ▁concerns ▁( i . e . ▁the ▁patient ▁does ▁not ▁want ▁a ▁scar ) ▁and ▁the ▁les ion ▁is ▁small . ▁A ▁sc oop ▁or ▁deep ▁sh ave ▁bi ops y ▁is ▁often ▁advoc ated , ▁but ▁should ▁be ▁avoided ▁due ▁to ▁risk ▁of ▁a ▁rec urrent ▁nev us , ▁which ▁can ▁comp licate ▁future ▁diagn osis ▁of ▁a ▁mel an oma , ▁and ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁resulting ▁scar ▁t issue ▁can ▁obsc ure ▁tum or ▁depth ▁if ▁a ▁mel an oma ▁is ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁present ▁and