Skin growths are masses of cells that appear as growths
on the skin and usually look different in one or more
ways then the skin surrounding them. Mostly, skin growths
are identified by their darker color (sometimes turning
black) as compared to the normal skin. However, some of
these growths may be the same color as the skin. Some
skin growths are congenital (present at birth) while others
appear later in life.
Malignant and Benign Skin Growths
Skin growths can broadly be divided into two main types:
malignant (cancerous) and benign (non-cancerous). The
basic difference between the two is the degree of control
on the growing process. In case of benign skin growths,
the growth is controlled after a certain size is reached
(usually small) and it does not spread to other parts
of the body/skin. Malignant growths, on the other hand,
grow beyond control and start causing pain and other annoying
symptoms at some stage in their development. Malignant
skin growths also spread to other parts of the skin/body
by attacking normal tissues. They must be removed for
saving the patient’s health and even life while
benign growths are harmless and removed mostly for cosmetic
reasons.
Types of Benign Skin Growths
A number of benign skin growths have been recognized
by dermatologists. Most of them are harmless and do
not cause any annoying symptoms. Some of them do cause
a little irritation or, in some cases, pain. Removal
or treatment
of these skin growths may vary according to the nature
and condition of the skin growth. Main types of benign
skin growths include: dermatofibromas, dermoid cysts,
freckles, keloids, keratoacanthomas, lipomas, moles,
pyogenic granulomas, seborrheic keratoses, and skin
tags. Most or all of these are either removed surgically,
or treated with specialized medicine (creams, injections
etc.) for cosmetic reasons. Sometimes, they may be suspected
of growing into harmful growths, in which case their
removal
becomes necessary. People having skin growths are advised
to see a dermatologist urgently if they note any change
in the color, size, or shape of a skin growth. Same
hold for growths that cause irritation, pain, or other
disturbing symptoms.
Benign Moles and Melanoma
Research has shown that not all moles are benign; some
of them may change into malignant or cancerous growths,
called melanoma. This is more probable in case of larger
moles (called atypical moles), i.e. those that are more
than half an inch in diameter, and also for moles that
are congenital (present at birth). There are some important
observations upon which people having these moles need
to urgently see their doctor. One of these is the asymmetry
of the mole i.e. when half of the mole looks dissimilar
to the other half. Also, if the borders/edges of the
mole are irregular in outline, it needs immediate attention.
Similarly, if the color of the mole is not uniform (varies
at places and/or with time) and/or if the mole is unusually
large, a doctor should be consulted about it at the
earliest.
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