A mole, sometimes known as a birthmark, is a non-cancerous disorder of pigmented skin cells. They can vary in color and shade and by and large, can be medium to dark brown, sometimes they can be skin-colored or black too. Most of them are regular in shape, flat to moderately even as well. Sometimes, they appear to be slightly raised above the skin, are delicate to touch and lighter in shade. Also, they may or may not cause any kind of pain.

You need to get your moles checked at least once in every three months, because of the following reasons:

In case you have noticed the growth of new moles or have a family history with medical background marked by melanoma.

You need to watch out for moles that do not look like your other moles specifically. Dysplastic moles are the ones that look different from the normal ones and may lead to melanoma. In case you have different dysplastic moles, you are in serious danger of getting melanoma.

In case you have any moles that are bigger than the others and are smudgy or have unpredictable edges, which are uneven in shading or have some pinkness, you need to see a specialist and get them checked. Also, if you notice a change in the color or shade or it gets itchy, agonizingly painful or begins to bleed, it can be a sign of something serious. Thus you must visit a specialist immediately. 

Although, most of them are non-cancerous and not that dangerous. However, there are some types that can convert into lumps and can be cancerous in nature. Although the chance of something like that happening is very rare, still it is a possibility.

In case you notice a liquid discharge or pus formation in the mole, you must consult a doctor immediately. 

Being proactive about your well-being is the best way to avoid serious health conditions and you must look out for moles that can be risky as they are connected to skin cancer. Self-diagnose and examine your skin in front of a mirror. Give careful consideration to the zones of your skin that are frequently exposed to the sun, for example, the hands, arms, abdomen, face and head. Along with limiting your exposure to sunlight and utilizing sunscreens, inspecting yourself for moles can help with early detection of melanoma (the deadliest kind of skin tumor) and hence, get treated for the same. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Important Reasons Why Should You Get Your Moles Checked!

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!

Depending on the way you look at it, a mole can be a beauty spot or a blemish. For most people, facial moles are undesired. Moles can be described as clusters of pigmented skin cells. They appear in the form of dark spots on the skin that vary in size, color and texture. Apart from the face, moles appear commonly on the arms and legs but can affect any part of the body. In most cases, moles are harmless but in some cases, they may turn precancerous and need to be removed. However, most moles are removed for only cosmetic reasons. Moles can be removed through home remedies, surgery or laser treatment.

Mole removal depends on the type, size and location of the mole. When treated with lasers, layers of the mole are removed one by one by evaporating the affected cells. This does not cause any sort of bleeding and does not disturb healthy tissues adjacent to the mole. It is also considered to be a largely pain-free procedure but you may feel a slight tingling sensation. After the laser procedure, a scab forms over the affected area which later falls off. You may also notice slight swelling and redness in the area for a few days after the procedure.

Laser treatment for mole removal has a number of advantages.

As it is a non-invasive procedure, there are minimal chances of infection
Multiple moles can be treated in a single session
Laser beams can reach parts of the face, nose and ears that may be difficult to reach through other procedures.
There are minimal disturbance and injury to the adjacent healthy tissues
Healing is much faster than with other procedures
There is a very low chance of scarring
However, one of the biggest disadvantages of laser therapy is that it can only be used to treat surface moles as the laser beam cannot penetrate deep into the skin. Also, laser treatment, if not recommended in cases where the mole may be considered precancerous as the laser beam will destroy the mole leaving nothing that can be used for a biopsy. Lasers are also seldom used to treat large moles or birthmarks. The cost of removing a mole with laser treatment depends on the size, location and number of moles. In some cases, more than one session may be required and this too could influence the cost of the procedure.

Moles - How Laser Treatment Can Help You Get Rid Of Them?

Moles and Nevi are formed when there is a localized concentration of pigment cells on the skin or mucous membrane. They appear as colour growths and may appear anywhere. Colours may vary and can be brown, black, or natural skin colour. These growths usually appear in early childhood or adulthood, but there are some that may appear late. With the passage of time, these growths may change in appearance and become darker in colour or raised in appearance. Hairs may also develop among them.

Treatment for Moles:

Your plastic surgeon can advise to remove a mole when he/she has a clinical suspicion that it may transform into a malignant nevus. People may also want to go for mole removal if it bears an aesthetic dimension. If the patient wants to remove moles from sensitive areas like eyelids, eyes, mouth etc., he/she needs to consider meeting a Plastic Surgeon who is skilled and experienced in mole removal. Plastic surgeons can conduct procedures with minimal scarring.

Plastic Surgery for Mole or Nevi Removal:

There are many processes of mole removal. Some of the commons ones are listed below:

Shaving with Surgical Scalpel:

The plastic surgeon may shave off a small & superficial mole with a surgical scalpel. There are some moles which have cells underneath the skin which may need to make a deeper cut.

CO2 Laser or Electrocautery:

The plastic surgeon may also do cauterisation of the moles using radiofrequency cautery. Laser plastic surgical treatment encounters less scarring. Nevertheless, Laser treatment may be required in stages for satisfactorily removing the deeper moles.

Excision & reconstruction of bigger moles & nevi:

Giant hairy nevus or huge moles needs reconstructive surgery after complete excision of such bigger moles.

Benefits of Plastic Surgery:

Brings Down Risk of Melanoma - Though moles are benign in general, there is a risk of them turning cancerous over time and giving rise to melanoma. This is why plastic surgeon may monitor certain moles in patients and advise mole removal. While cosmetic reasons are attributed to the patient's concerns, doctors are concerned about the likelihood of melanoma. So, the best mole removal procedure can bring down the risk of melanoma.
Cosmetic Benefits - Some moles, especially those in the face, appear unsightly. Removing these moles can offer cosmetic benefits.
Conclusion:

In general, moles need to be removed with the help of a plastic surgeon for better cosmetic results & prevention of possible complications.

Moles & Nevus - How Can Plastic Surgery Remove These?

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?

Stress and fatigue as well as hormonal issues and genetically inherited conditions may leave a mark on our faces, and the eyes in particular. We talk about getting under-eye puffiness, yet we fail to notice that some of us also experience the ill effects of another issue: eyes that look hollow. This issue is particularly evident on more thin faces. As a general rule, ladies who experience them say that they look tired even when they aren't. For some ladies, they start seeing hollows in the under eye area in their mid-30s. As they grow older, the procedure accelerates and gives them a tired and old appearance.

Causes: So what causes a hollow to happen? The fat cushions that line the drop and start to leave the area with an empty look. This creates a less than flattering look which also looks dark and unsightly. Some of the fixes for this problem are as follows:

Filler Fix: Hyaluronic corrosive is successful in filling the affected areas under the eyes, when the tissue is injected with it. The best choice is hyaluronic corrosive filler, for example, Restylane or Juv&eacute;derm Voluma, in combination with the surface medicines for the skin.

Lasting Fix: A lower eyelift or blepharoplasty surgery can expel any free skin under the eyes that gives a hollow look. The fat can be repositioned or added to smooth out depressed skin.

Product Fix: Applying cucumber cuts and items with vitamin C can also help. It can diminish the dark circles that occasionally come with eye hollows. If you find that you have dark circles as well, a solution of hydroquinone can help up under-eye shadows.

Utilize an eye cream with hyaluronic corrosive as one of the fixings.

Use hyaluronic corrosive alone on the influenced region, being exceptionally cautious not to get it in your eyes.

Some of the natural strategies are:

1. Rest: This is the genuine, essential and a viable home solution for hollow eyes. As said before, a depressed eye usually calls for more rest.

2. Almond Oil: Apply almond oil under the eyes a few times each day. Almond oil is rich in Vitamin E, a sustaining vitamin for glowing skin.

3. Raw Potato Juice: Raw potatoes are equally important to heal sore eyes and dark circles. Cut the potatoes and lay it on the affected spot for around 20 minutes.

4. Utilized tea packs: With rich cell reinforcements, utilizing tea packs advances blood flow. The sore and darker skin gets renewed.

5. Cucumber: Any eye based solution without cucumber is incomplete. Get some rest by setting cut cucumber on eyes and wake up with new, restored and sparkling eyes.

The Best Procedure for Doing Away With Under Eye Hollows

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