According to the Cleveland Clinic, moles are the result of skin cells growing in a cluster instead of spread throughout the skin. A skin tag is a small piece of skin hanging from a connecting stalk. Moles can change color from skin exposure or during big hormonal changes in teens and during pregnancy. Most moles are benign, but should be monitored for changes as they can become cancerous. Skin tags are not dangerous and are benign skin flaps.
Home or in the Doctor's Office
Skin tags can be removed easily enough from home. Because they are benign, they are generally only removed for cosmetic purposes or because they are constantly being irritated by clothing. Moles can also be removed from home, but if you suspect they could be cancerous and you’ve noticed them change lately, you should visit a dermatologist, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Skin Tag Removal
Removing skin tags from home can be simple using methods dermatologists would use, according to Home Mole Removal. One method is to tie a string at the base of the skin tag essentially cutting off the blood flow to the piece of skin. This easy, painless procedure will cause the skin flap to die and fall off in five to seven days. You can also freeze the skin tags off using home wart and skin tag removal liquid nitrogen kits. They are not as strong as the freezing treatments used by dermatologists, so freezing should be limited to smaller skin tags.
Know Your ABCDEs
According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should know the ABCDEs of moles to determine if a mole has the potential for being malignant, and if you answer yes to any, consult a doctor. Attempting to remove a mole on your own that is potentially malignant can risk leaving cancerous cells in surrounding skin to spread. A, or asymmetry, means part of the mole does not look like the other part. B stands for border, which means you should look for ragged, blurred or irregular edges of moles.
C stands for color, as in the color is not consistent throughout the mole or it contains tan, brown, black, blue, white or red coloring. D is diameter. If the mole is bigger than a pencil eraser, you should seek professional evaluation. Finally, there's E for elevation or evolution. If the mole is elevated from the skin or has evolved or changed over time, it should be checked out.
Mole Removal
The best way to remove moles is through a doctor. A doctor will use one of two methods: shave excision and excision surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic. Shave excision is done after the local area has been numbed, and then the dermatologist uses a small blade to cut around and beneath the mole. In an excision surgery, the dermatologist cuts out the mole and surrounding tissues with a scalpel or a punch device.
