Topic 5. 5 Reasons to see a dermatologist for mole and skin tag removal
A mole that grows, itches, or changes in any way could be skin cancer. If you remove this mole at home, the cancer can spread before it's found.
While sheltering in place during the coronavirus pandemic, people are tackling all sorts of DIY projects from baking bread to sewing COVID-19 masks. Some people are even trying DIY surgeries, such as removing a mole or skin tag. Dermatologists caution that at-home surgery can go seriously wrong quickly and unexpectedly. Trying to remove a mole or skin tag at home could cause a deep-seated infection. You could cause unstoppable blood loss. To get life-saving care, you’d have to go to the emergency room (ER).
Whether the spot on your skin requires immediate medical care or can be removed later, you want to see a dermatologist. Here are five reasons why:
1. Find and treat skin cancer.
Cancer can appear on your skin in many ways. It can look like a changing mole, new growth, or scar. A dermatologist can correctly identify skin cancer and provide expert medical care,
If you remove a mole at home that’s actually skin cancer, you can leave behind microscopic cancer cells. These cells can multiply and spread deep into the tissue beneath your skin. If you have melanoma, these skin cancer cells can spread quickly throughout the body. This is why melanoma is called the deadliest skin cancer.
Caught early and treated, melanoma is highly treatable.
Caught early and treated, melanoma is highly treatable.
2. Avoid difficult-to-stop blood loss.
Your dermatologist will ask questions about your medical condition and the medications you take before treating you. . This information will help them identify factors that could cause difficult-to-stop bleeding so they can take necessary precautions.
Dermatologists also have the in-depth medical expertise required to remove skin growths with the least amount of injury. Without this knowledge, it’s easy for you to nick a blood vessel or cut into a vein unexpectedly.
Dermatologists also have the in-depth medical expertise required to remove skin growths with the least amount of injury. Without this knowledge, it’s easy for you to nick a blood vessel or cut into a vein unexpectedly.
3. Control infection risk.
When doctors cut into skin, they follow guidelines that dramatically reduce the risk of contamination. Without this knowledge, you risk developing a serious infection, which can require a trip to the ER.
4. Minimize scarring.
Any time you wound your skin, you risk developing a scar. Dermatologists have the expertise required to reduce scarring.
5. Prevent loss of movement due to scarring.
Scars that heal over a joint, such as a knuckle or an elbow, can tighten around the area and limit how far you can move that joint. Dermatologists understand this risk and use their expertise to help avoid any problems.
It’s understandable that you may want to do everything you can to treat yourself at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Our practice supports this when possible but not when it comes to mole and skin tag removal. We also provide information to help you avoid unnecessary risks.
*Information resources: https://www.aad.org