Atypical Moles

Atypical moles ar's size aree moles that greater than 6 mm in diameter, they also have color changes and uneven borders. If you have any atypical moles you should have a skin screening by a medical professional. Good news is that not all of these moles are cancerous. However, single atypical mole does not increase the lifetime risk of melanoma; however, whena lot of multiple atypical moles are present, the relative risk of melanoma is increased. The greatest risk is in people who have mor than 50 of these moles. Also, a patient who has atypical moles has an increased risk of melanoma even in the absence of a personal or family history of melanoma. Prevention and early detection of atypical moles should be discussed with your doctor. Sun avoidance and skin protection should be reviewed, especially the importance of avoiding sunburns in childhood. For patients who have atypical moles, a reasonable practice is to examine the skin at least every 12 months.

Home Removal of Skin Tags

While the best form of removal is ALWAYS your doctor, there are some home remedies that supposedly do the trick when it comes to removing pesky skin tags. I have not personally tried any of these (although I did consider it) so I do not know how effective they are. Some of them are rather interesting. Here they are: 1. Tea Tree Oil -- Wash the site of your skin tag with soap and water, and dry it thoroughly. Apply 1 to 3 drops of tea tree oil to the skin tab, rubbing it in to the skin with a Q-tip. Repeat this process three times a day until the skin tag darkens and eventually falls off. 2. Use vitamin E and an adhesive bandage. Break open a vitamin E capsule and wipe some of the liquid onto the skin tag. Cover the tag with a band-aid. The band-aid is supposed to cut off the blood supply to the tag, while the vitamin E helps heal the skin as the tag is sloughed off. Leave the band-aid on for several days before checking whether the skin tag has fallen off. 3.Cover the skin tag with duct tape. Cover the skin tag completely with a small amount of duct tape, keeping it over the skin tag until it the tape loosens. When it loosens, check to see whether the skin tag has either loosened or fallen off. If it hasn't reapply a new piece of duct tape to the skin tag and wait for it to fall off. (This is my least favorite....ewwww) 4.Use over-the-counter remedies such as compound W. 5. Treat skin tags by tying them off with dental floss. Also called ligation, this kills the skin tag by temporarily blocking off blood flow to the area. Take a piece of dental floss and tie around skin tag and pull on it, little by little each day. After a day, you should begin to notice the complexion of your tag changing. After several days, it should dry up entirely and fall off. These are a few of the remedies I have found but as mentioned before your doctor is really the way to go here, bcause infections or excessive scarring could occur. (info from wiki how)

Mole or Skin Cancer??

What is the difference between a mole and skin cancer? Here are some specifics: A mole that is melanoma can sometimes itch. Itching associated with a melanoma can vary -- it will not necessarily itch all the time. It's said that a risk factor for melanoma is a mole that stands out or looks different from others. What makes a mole look "different" is the comparison of it to others. If a mole on your arm looks different than all your others, but it has always looked the same, it may warrant getting checked out. What is specific to look at when it comes to moles is changes - irregular colors, border, size, recent changes. There is a type of melanoma -- the amelanotic melanoma -- that is hard to spot because it does not have the classic dark, changing colors most people associate with a "bad" mole. These can look like pink or light red or even flesh colored skin lesions making them very difficult to identify as a skin problem. Aain, it is best to look for changes and consult your doctor with your concerns. A melanoma will often have changes -- color and size. The initial changes may be subtle, so only one may be noticed at first, but if left over time, then a change in size is almost always seen. Skin cancer warning lists mentions moles the size of a pencil eraser as being possible signs of melanoma. The rules regarding melanoma are certainly not definite. A melanoma can be very small not always bigger than a pencil eraser. Best practice is if a lesion looks suspicious it should be biopsied -- and everyone should have a yearly skin exam by a dermatologist to be safe. If caught early, 95 percent, 97 percent, or "near 100 percent" of melanoma can be cured.

More on Moles

A skin mole is a spot on the skin that is usually round or oval in shape. The skin mole can be small or large, and it may range in color from pink, brown, red, or black. A single mole is Almost everyone has a few moles. Most have between 10-50 moles on any part of the body. We are all born with all the moles we will ever have. Many of them are not visible at birth but will appear as we get older. A mole is called by a collection of cells named melanocytes, which are part of skin pigmentation. When these melanocytes happen in bunches, they result in the eventual appearance of a mole. A mole can be flat or raised. Sometimes they will have hair coming out of them. Moles can be removed. Usually, since the skin mole is common, often people don't bother getting rid of them unless the mole is quite large. A skin mole can be removed using many methods, and depending on the size of the mole, might result in some scarring.

Who Would Benefit from Skin Cancer Screening?

People with risk factors for melanoma and skin cancer include those who have one or more of the following: History of childhood sunburn People with fair skin People who've had high UV exposure, such as: outdoor workers; outdoor hobbyists; tanningbed enthusiasts; sunbathers. Multiple moles Multiple unusual looking moles Previous history of melanoma Family history of melanoma

More About Warts, Moles, and Skin Tags

Warts, moles and skin tags are common skin conditions.Most people who have them feel uncomfortable and often go to great lengths to hide them or have them removed.In this article we will investigate some of the causes of Skin Tags, Warts and Moles. SKIN TAGS Skin tags are soft pieces of skin. The tag is composed of epidermis, fat cells and ducts. Basically they are collagen and blood vessels trapped in skin folds. They can appear almost anywhere on the body, but mostly on the neck, upper chest, eyelids. Females and males are equally suseptible to skin tags, but in particular if you are overweight or diabetic you are more likely to have them. Also, heredity play s a role, skin tags seem to be passed on from generation to generation. Though a skin tags are harmless, their appearance can be frustrating and there are ways to remove them. These include:Interuppting the blood supply to the tag, which causes it to fall off; cauterization and electolysis to burn it off; excision with a scalpel, and over-the-counter solutions MOLES Moles are black, or brown growths on the skin. They appear virtually anywhere on the skin with onset often in childhood. A mole occurs when the skin cells grow in clusters instead of spreading out. Melanocytes give the mole the dark color. Though a majority of the skin moles are not dangerous, it is a good idea to watch them for changes in shape, color, number and size. This can help you detect early onset skin cancer, or melanoma WARTS Warts are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). When the virus is introduced into the skin, either People come into contact with the virus through touching, shaking hands, basically touching any item that an infected person might have touched. The virus enters the body through a cut or abrasion.Some people are more susceptible to getting warts than others and children seem to get them more than adults. Also, the condition can be inherited. Warts can be removed by a dermatologist or with over-the-counter remedies.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF MOLES AND SKIN TAGS

Skin tags, as you can already see by their description, are not pretty. Skin tags give out an abnormalstature to the skin that is makes people who are very sensitive about their looks feel self-conscious. Women especially get skin tags and feel that a skin tag somehow takes away from thier personal beauty. It causes depression in some cases and reminds them that old age has struck. Thus skin tags and moles can lead to an unusual type of depression. No one likes to grow old, and skin tags are a sign of old age. Hence, if a person has developed skin tags due to old age, they undergo emotional stress and trauma. They want to get rid of the skin tag in a safe and effective manner. Skin tag removal is possible but most people are unaware of this fact. Only those who go to the doctor or research about it will know that skin tags can be removed successfully. Many people think that having skin tags is a public embarrassment and tend to turn inwards like a hermit until they figure out that the problem can be solved. The psychological impact can cause people to become anti-social, which can harm and effect considerably the emotional and spiritual health, particularly in old age. Since skin tags are not that good to look at, the person who has it refrains from going out in public. Skin tag removal can cost you a doctor’s visit and the cost of a small operation. If an affected person cannot afford medical intervention they often turn to home remedies which can be effective but they take time to work -- which can also increase the sadness and depression. In sum, any skin condition can make someone depressed but skin tags can harm more because they are not that well known and look abnormal on a person.The best possible way to make yourself not drown in the depressed state is to do something about the skin tag and quickly at that. Understand that it does not look bad and calmly remove it by going to the doctor or using a home remedy. And if you have a friend or a family member with skin tags, comfort them about it and help them in ways of removing it.