The Facts About Moles

Moles are growths on the skin that occur when skin cells grow in a cluster instead of being spread throughout a larger area.   These skin cells make the pigment that gives skin its natural color and are usually black, brown or slightly darker than skin tone. 

Most moles are benign (non cancerous) and appear during the first 20 years of a person's life. The only moles that are of medical concern are those that look different from other existing moles or those that first appear after age 20.  Changes in a mole's color, height, size, or shape should be evaluated by a dermatologist.  You also should have moles checked if they bleed, ooze, itch, appear scaly, or become tender or painful.

The Cleveland Clinic suggests following an A-B-C-D-E checklist for determining if moles may be cancerous:

Asymmetry - Each half of the mole should match the other.
Border - The edges should not be irregular or ragged.
Color - The tint should be the same throughout.
Diameter - Should not be greater than the size of pencil eraser.
Elevation - Should not become elevated or raised from the skin over time.

If a dermatologist believes the mole needs to be evaluated further, he or she will first take a biopsy (small tissue sample of the mole) to examine thin sections of the tissue under a microscope.  Cutting through the mole to acquire the sample will not cause the cancer to spread.  If the mole is found to be cancerous, the dermatologist will remove the entire mole by cutting it out, as well as a rim of normal skin around it.  Then he or she will stitch the wound closed.

While most moles appear during the first 20 years of a person's life, some may not develop until later in life. It is normal to have between 10 to 40 moles by adulthood.  They may become slightly raised and, during pregnancy and exposure to the sun, may become darker and, therefore, more pronounced.  Often, hairs develop on the mole.

As with other skin lesions, moles can be considered unsighlty.  Some people prefer to have moles removed for cosmetic reasons; others are irritated by them rubbing against their clothing.  One way to remove moles is through surgery.   A non-invasive treatment has become popular and widely accepted as an alternative course of action.  This holistic approach to mole removal  has also been shown to be effective with warts and skin tags.

To learn more about a natural treatment, Click Here.

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What Is A Skin Tag?

Skin tags are small, soft pieces of hanging skin that are attached to the outside of the body.  They are composed of a core of fibers and ducts, nerve cells, fat cells, and a covering or epidermis.

They can appear almost anywhere but it's more likely they can be found in those areas where skin rubs against skin.  The most common areas for skin tags are:

• Neck
• Groin
• Eyelids
• Under Breasts
• Chest
• Armpits

According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), USA, approximately 46% of people have skin tags.  By the age of 65, 60% of the population will get one or more skin tags. While not a serious health issue unto themselves, skin tags are associated with some medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.  It is believed that skin tags are often a very useful early warning sign of impending ill health, such as type II diabetes.  They are benign, however and non-cancerous.

Occasionally, skin tags are misdiagnosed as moles or warts.  Unlike the others, skin tags are soft, elastic and lay away from the skin, connected only by a soft tissue stalk.  Like moles and warts, skin tags are unsightly and can negatively affect one's self-esteem.  Also, if they are rubbed frequently enough, an irritation can develop at the point of connection to the skin.

So what can be done about these tags?   In a few cases, they simply fall or rub off painlessly by themselves.  Most of the time, though, they will not.  There are ways to remove skin tags.

One such remedy is to have them surgically removed by a doctor.  He or she  may simply cut them off with a pair of sterile scissors or a scalpel.  There may some bleeding associated with this type of removal method but the doctor should be able to stop any bleeding that may occur.

Skin tags can also be burned off by the doctor using an instrument that sends electric currents through the skin tag. This procedure has a risk of damaging surrounding healthy skin.  

Lasers may be used by some doctors to get rid of skin tags. This type of removal can be the most expensive.

One other surgical option is freezing off the skin tag with liquid nitrogen. More than one liquid nitrogen treatment may be necessary to get rid of the skin tag completely. The risk with skin tag removal freezing methods are skin discoloration. There may a little discomfort with this type of procedure, also.

At home remedies are another alternative for skin tag removal.  One method involves tying a string around the base of the skin tag and leaving it in place. This will cut off the blood supply to the skin tag. After several days the skin growth will dry up and fall off.

Some individuals are brave enough to cut off their skin tags with a pair of scissors or a knife at home. This should be done with caution because it could cause an infection. Only clean, disinfected instruments should be used.

A natural, less invasive approach for removal of skin tags has gained increasing popularity and acceptance.  While less well-known, this type of treatment, which does not involve surgery, has been found to be more desirable by many skin tag sufferers.  It attacks the problem at it's source.  A natural remedy is typically much less expensive and risky and such a treatment for skin tags is no exception.  Moreover, it has been found to be highly effective in the removal of skin tags, as well as moles and warts.

To learn more about a guaranteed successful, holistic treatment to remove skin tags, Click Here.

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