Benign Skin Lesions
During your comprehensive skin exam, we will be looking head to toe. There are many different types of skin growths that can appear on your skin beyond “moles”. Many also appear as we age due to genetics or UV exposure. Below are examples of common benign conditions.
Nevi (also known as Moles)
Most moles appear on the skin during childhood and adolescence. Moles will grow as the child (or teen) grows. Some moles will darken, and others will lighten. These changes are expected and seldom a sign of melanoma, the most-serious skin cancer.
Moles come in different shapes and colors and should look similar to each other, as if they belong in a family. If there is an “ugly duckling” that is new, it should be examined by a dermatologist.
Most moles do not require treatment. A dermatologist will remove a mole that is:
- Bothersome (painful due to rubbing or catching)
- Unattractive to a patient (considered cosmetic removal)
- Suspicious (could be skin cancer)
We can usually remove a mole during an office visit. Occasionally, a patient may need to return for a second visit. Moles can be removed via excision with stitches used to close the open skin into a line or by horizontal shave to remove the raised portion of the mole, leaving a shallow open area that heals naturally over time.
Your skin tissue will be looked at under a microscope by a pathologist. This is done to check for cancer cells.
Seborrheic Keratoses
are very common benign skin growths that can mimic moles or even warts. If bothersome, they can also be removed in several ways depending on the size and thickness.
Angiomas
Angiomas are common benign vascular growths. They can be bright “cherry” red or dark purple. If cosmetically bothersome, they can be removed via laser or electrocautery.
Milia
Milia (singular: milium) are tiny white or yellowish bumps or cysts that commonly appear on the face, especially around the eyes, cheeks, nose, and forehead.
They are benign. If you’d like to remove milia for cosmetic reasons, we offer safe, in-office options for removal via manual extraction.
Tip: avoid rubbing your skin, use exfoliating cleansers or prescription creams like tretinoin which may help reduce future milia formation by improving skin turnover.
Skin tags
Skin tags are small, soft, harmless growths that commonly appear on areas of friction such as the neck, underarms, eyelids, groin, or under the breasts. They’re not dangerous but may become irritated or cosmetically bothersome.
If desired, we offer safe, in-office treatments by snip removal after numbing the skin, or by freezing it with liquid nitrogen.
