If you’ve been experiencing the appearance of the unsightly growths known as skin tags or warts, you may be wondering what options exist to have them removed. Warts and skin tags can develop anywhere on the body, which can be problematic if they become large or form in areas that are particularly sensitive. The team at MD First Primary & Urgent Care has been helping patients in the Lancaster, SC area remove these often unsightly and embarrassing growths quickly and painlessly and are here to help you as well.
What Are Skin Tags?
Statistics suggest that skin tags occur in more than half the population at one point or another in their lives. Obese, middle-aged adults are the most likely to develop these tags, but it’s possible at any stage of life. Plump babies, in particular, may develop skin them. Skin tags are nothing more than a tiny bit of skin that projects from the surrounding skin, often appearing balloon-like. They are most common in places where friction occurs, such as skin folds or where clothing presses against the skin, such as the waistline. Below is a list of the most common sights for skin-tags:
- Chest
- Beneath breasts, particularly in women
- The base of the neck
- Buttocks
- Groin
- Underarms
- Eyelids
What Are Warts?
Warts is the name given to a form of noncancerous growth that occurs when your skin becomes infected with HPV, the Human Papillomavirus. The presence of this virus stimulates the growth of additional cells, causing thickening and hardening of the skin. While it’s possible for warts to appear anywhere on the body, they are most commonly found on the feet and hands. There are multiple types of wart that vary in both appearance and location.
- Common Warts – These are the most common warts and appear mostly on the hands and feet. They are most frequently found near the nails and are typically about the size of a pea. They often contain dark spots with a seed-like appearance. These ‘seeds’ are actually minute blood clots.
- Plantar Warts – These warts form on the sole of your feet, and often feel like there’s a pebble in your shoe you can’t shake. These warts tend to grow inwards, rather than outwards, due to the pressure caused by walking on them. They frequently are confused with calluses but are distinguished by black dots found in or around them.
- Flat Warts – These warts tend to be on the smaller side, only 1/8th of an inch wide. They are also smoother but tend to grow in greater numbers. These warts can be found in clusters of 20 to 100, and are most commonly located on the legs, in the beard, and on children’s faces.
These are three of the types of warts you might encounter, and that our office treats.
How Are Warts and Skin Tags Removed?
While the particulars of how a wart or skin tag is removed vary with each instance, the same variety of procedures are typically used for both. When it comes time to have a wart or skin tag removed, one of the following procedures will be used:
- Cryosurgery – This freezes off the wart or skin tag using small amounts of liquid nitrogen.
- Excision – A scalpel is used to excise or cut out the wart or skin tag.
- Ligation – This treatment is only used for skin tags, and involves cutting off its blood supply.
- Cauterization – Skin tags can be burned off using a special tool.
If the skin tag is located on your eyelid or near your eye, then it will be necessary to see an ophthalmologist to have it removed. Most other forms of skin tags and warts can be removed by the team at MD First Primary & Urgent Care. Make an appointment to get our help with yours by calling 1-803-283-2300 today or come see us at 1130 Hwy 9 Bypass W in Lancaster, SW.
