Moles are a common form of growth or formation on your skin that appear often in the form of small, black spots. They can develop anywhere on the body. They usually occur during adolescence or childhood and with the passage of time, they may change colour. Moles are a type of skin growth, which usually do not go away with time.

On the other hand, freckles are often described as round, flat, dark colour spots which vary in size from about 2mm to 4mm. They may result from pigment precipitation in one particular area as the skin that surrounds the dark spot is comparatively lighter in shade. Being sensitive to the sun s ultra violet rays, freckles become more noticeable during or after sunlight exposure. Although freckles are usually found in areas which are not covered from the sun s exposure, they could also occur anywhere on your body.

What causes them?
Moles are caused due to certain skin cells, known as melanocytes, grow in a very close group instead of being evenly and normally spread across the skin. Moles that occur during birth are called congenital nevi and their chances of occurring are around 1 in a 100. These moles are more prone to develop into skin cancer (melanoma) in later stages of life.

Freckles on the other hand are 

Genetically transferred, so the chance of you becoming affected are higher, if any of your parents have it.
If there s a prolonged exposure to the sunrays, then freckles may appear on your skin and they become even more prominent on a fair skin. Since the presence of melanin is less in people with fair skin the sunlight exposure causes these dark spots to surface easily
Hormonal imbalances could be yet another reason for freckles to appear as estrogen could be over-stimulate cells that produce pigment and thus become more prominent in the presence of sunlight.
Rare disorders like Xeroderma Pigmentosum (a condition leading to extreme light sensitivity and also skin cancer in certain cases) can make your skin more sensitive to the UV rays, thus resulting in freckles.
Treatment of moles and freckles

Laser Treatment: There are different types of lasers which are absolutely safe and can help reduce or lighten these dark spots effectively.
Cryosurgery: The physician would use a light freeze in conjunction with liquid nitrogen to reduce the spots of freckles. However, not every spot responds to this kind of treatment.
Retinoids: Mostly used with a combination of other bleaching creams, retinoids help reduce freckles when used continuously for a couple of months.

Moles and Freckles? How They Can Be Treated?

Dermatology is a very vast subject and many times it crosses the medical field to the cosmetology sector, where beautiful skin maintenance is concerned. The case of mole removal, for example, is handled by dermatologists. However, while examining the moles they first confirm that they do not, in any way, pose the risk of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. In fact, it has been reported that a dermatologist in Christchurch, New Zealand is offering free checkups during weekends for melanoma. Her plight is that she lost her brother to melanoma and many people make the mistake of ignoring moles on their skin and pay the heavy price.

A Professional Way Better than Trying at Home
For exactly the reason mentioned above, if you find moles on your skin, you should have the area examined by a dermatologist. The doctor would have the right instruments to identify and check whether they are only moles and then advise the appropriate removal. If the advice from the doctor itself indicates a simple procedure at home, then you can do this. There are over the counter products, such as peels available which can be used and then the moles can be removed. For other cases, you will need to subject yourself to a proper mole removal procedure.

Simple Methods For Surgeries
Chemical peels and burning away the extra growth using Cantharidin are some of the options available to dermatologists to remove moles from your skin. They may either have their own proprietary peels made or use the ones available in the market. Either way, the dermatologist will know how to prepare the skin before applying the remedy and also after treatment care. Skin is a very sensitive part of the body and no risk can be taken. If the mole removal has to be carried out only through a surgical procedure, the dermatologist will make that decision and do it as soon as you are ready.

Again, within the surgical method of removing moles, the doctor may use very simple procedures such as a scalpel to cut and remove the mole as well as a small amount of skin and dress it up. In the next level, the doctor may have to make a proper incision and then stitch up the area around the cut portion. Care will be taken regarding the scar on the skin.

Take Care of Your Skin
Depending on which part of the world you live in, there are steps you must take to protect your skin from getting damaged. In particular, the areas, like the face, neck, shoulders and hands which are exposed to the sun or cold winds or other vagaries that pose risks to the surface of the skin. The moment you observe signs of any abnormality in the skin, consult a good dermatologist to get healthy skin.

Mole Removal - What To Know?

Skin tags: causes and treatments

Skin tags, also known as acrochordons, are small brown or darker-than-skin tone growths on the surface of the skin. Tags are very common and harmless growths and tend to occur on the neck, under the breasts, armpits, eyelids and folds of the groin. They generally take place after midlife. About 25% of people report having skin tags after they cross the age of 50.

What causes skin tags to occur?

Skin tags are very common among diabetics and obese individuals. Pregnant women also develop skin tags, as a consequence of changes in the body's hormonal levels. Skin tags tend to occur when your skin rubs against clothing or skin. They are normally caused by blood vessels and collagen that gets trapped inside the thicker portions of the skin. For this reason, they are typically found in folds and creases of the skin. Sometimes, they reduce on their own if blood supply to the tissue has been disrupted due to them getting twisted.

What procedures are involved in their treatment?

Skin tags are generally removed for purely cosmetic reasons but when they do become troublesome, as in, they rub against jewelry, skin or clothing, doctors recommend their removal as the area can end up becoming irritated.

The following procedures are performed to remove these annoying growths on skin:

1. Excision - in this procedure the skin tag gets removed using a scalpel.

2. Ligation - the procedure involves the cutting off of blood supply to the skin tag.

3. Cauterization - the procedure involves the burning off the skin tag using electrolysis (process that involves decomposition of a matter by electric current)

4. Cryosurgery - in this procedure, the skin tag is frozen before removing it. An instrument containing liquid nitrogen is used to do the removal.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: How does salt help in clearing skin?

Why are SKIN TAGs so annoying?

For most us tattoos are a form of expressing their personalities. However, the things you identify with, in your teens may not be something you want to be associated with as you grow older. In some cases, a tattoo may not come out as you imagined it to be and this may leave you with a permanent adornment that you don t like. Thankfully, though tattoos are permanent, it is possible to remove them. As with getting a tattoo in the first place, removing it is not as simple as it sounds and can be quite painful. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind before opting to remove a tattoo.

Complete removal is not guaranteed: Not all tattoos are the same, the deeper tattoo ink is injected into the skin, the harder it is to remove. In many cases, tattoo removal may leave behind a faint shadow of the tattoo or cause permanent scarring.
How you got your tattoo made affects its removal: Professional tattoo artists have a steady hand and inject ink at the same depth, unlike amateurs who inject ink at varying depths. Thus removing a professional tattoo is easier than removing one made by an amateur.
It is painful: As when getting a tattoo made, removing it is also painful. The amount of pain felt depends largely on the location of the tattoo. In the case of laser treatment, this can be described as the feeling of having an elastic band repeatedly strike the skin. You could ask for local anesthesia or a numbing cream to be applied before starting the procedure to reduce the pain.
Multiple sessions are required: On an average 6-10 sessions are required to remove a tattoo. However, the actual number of sessions depends on a number of factors including the location of your tattoo, the number of colors in it etc. you will also need to wait at least 6 weeks between sessions to reduce the risk of side effects.
There are side effects: Some of the side effects you may notice after a tattoo removal session are blistering of the skin, bleeding, redness or darkening of the skin and inflammation of the tattooed area. These are temporary and should subside in a few weeks. However, darkening or lightening of the skin can last for up to a year. Scarring, burns and textural changes to the skin are other potential side effects. These can often be permanent.

Tattoo Removal - 5 Things You Need To Know Before You Go For It!

Do you know the sun is making your skin age faster? plus, 5 other reasons behind facial wrinkles

Facial wrinkling occurs when the skin develops creases, folds and ridges. The formation of wrinkles is a normal part of the process of skin ageing. However, certain factors may accelerate the process and lead to premature wrinkling of the face and other parts of the body.

The main causes of facial wrinkling are:

1. Skin ageing: as a person gets older, his/her skin becomes less taut and begins to sag. The production of natural oils and fat in the deeper layers of the skin gets reduced with age, which leads to the formation of wrinkles due to diminished skin elasticity.

2. Sun exposure: constant exposure of skin to the sun causes damage and speeds up the ageing process. The harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun break down collagen and collective tissue fibres, which is the primary cause of premature wrinkling.

3. Skin complexion: due to the absence of melanin, people with fairer (lighter) skin, experience more damage due to sun exposure. This causes them to develop wrinkles much earlier.

4. Facial muscle contraction: repeatedly making the same facial expressions and contraction of face muscles causes wrinkling. Those who constantly frown, smile or squint get facial wrinkles as it leads to reduced skin elasticity.

5. Smoking: smokers are more susceptible to premature wrinkling. This is due to the presence of nicotine, tar and other chemicals from the smoke in the bloodstream, which hamper the supply of blood and oxygen to the outer layers of skin.

6. Genetic factors: many people get facial wrinkling as a result of hereditary causes and family genetics.

However, the good news is that facial wrinkling can be prevented through these simple ways:

Sun protection

This is the most effective way of avoiding wrinkles. Keep yourself protected against sun exposure by staying out of the sun as much as possible and wearing sunscreen at all times.

Quitting the smoke

Kicking the habit will show a marked improvement in your skin quality and would help prevent further wrinkling.

Use of moisturisers

Dry skin is more prone to wrinkling. Keeping your skin supple and moisturised prevents wrinkles.

Leading a healthy lifestyle

The combination of following a nutritious diet, drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep and regularly exercising keeps the skin young and wrinkle-free.

Treatment options:

There are several options to improve wrinkles by procedures which include botox, fillers, prp and lasers for skin tightening. The most suitable option can be chosen depending upon the severity and type of wrinkling.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 6 Face Washing Mistakes that are Damaging Your Skin, Everyday!

Do You Know the Sun is Adding Wrinkles To Your FACE?

Acne can be such an annoyance, you might have an important day tomorrow and that is when your skin decides to go rogue. What is acne? Overactive oil glands in your skin cause acne. It is a kind of skin disease where the skin produces excess oil, which traps bacteria and dead skin cells. This growth and proliferation of bacteria causes inflammations, leading to acne. Thankfully there are numerous acne care treatment. One of the most common methods is laser treatment.

Laser Treatment for acne
Laser treatment is a kind of dermatological treatment which uses concentrated light to treat acne.

What laser light does?
The concentrated light targets the bacteria, which combines with the excess oil on your face to cause breakouts. The light destroys the acne-causing bacteria, thus eliminating acne and also prevents future breakouts.
Laser treatment also shrinks the size of the oil glands and simultaneously targets pigmentation.

Laser light and scars?
The most common side effect of acne is acne scarring. And if acne scarring is your main concern, then laser treatment for acne will be integrated with laser skin resurfacing to treat your problem. Laser skin resurfacing directs short, pulsating light beams to remove your skin layer by layer with sharp precision. This smooths down scars, and fine lines while stimulating collagen growth.
It is recommended to use the two treatments alternatively. This way you can avoid side effects like redness and swelling. However, these treatments are safe and can give you clear, acne-free skin.

Is it recommended often?
The treatment is recommended based on the severity and frequency of your acne condition. Usually, 6 treatments are suggested, with monthly touch-ups. The touch-ups will maintain your glowing complexion, collagen production and prevent your acne from returning.

Differences you will see
The obvious differences you will see after laser therapy are clearer skin and reduced breakouts. It will also diminish sun damage, and you will have healthy and glowing skin.

Benefit
When topical creams fail, laser treatment for acne is the best option available. Laser treatment is non-invasive; and it will correct you skin problems and maintain clear skin. The best benefits of this treatment are-
i. It is long-term
ii. It will make you less dependable on creams.

Get Rid of Acne with Laser Treatment!

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