While we don’t grow as many as your old dog, humans are known to grow a variety of skin lesions: moles, freckles, skin tags, benign lentigines, and seborrheic keratoses.
When they get in the way or make you self-conscious, the team at Profile MD can zap them away with our UltraPulse Laser.
Moles and you
Moles can grow anywhere on the skin ad are usually brown or black. Most moles develop in early adulthood over the first 30 years of a person’s life. If you have a few you’re not alone — the average person has between 10 and 40 moles!
Over time, those moles change. Some will develop hairs. Others will become more raised or change color. Others will disappear.
Moles occur when melanocyte cells (responsible for skin color) grow in clusters rather than being spread throughout the skin. Due to their pigment relationship, some moles darken with sun exposure, during the hormonal teenage years, and during pregnancy.
Moles and cancer
The vast majority of moles are simply hanging out, kind of like your old college roommate who ate your food. They are harmless. Occasionally a mole changes color, height, size, or shape. That’s when you need to get it checked. Cancerous growths also usually form after age 30, while moles usually form well before then.
Removing moles and other skin growths at Profile MD
When a mole or skin tag gets in the way — say it’s where your bra strap rubs — or is unattractive, we can remove them at Profile MD. We evaporate the growth with our UltraPulse Laser. First, our doctors check the growth for any suspicious characteristics, and if they are worried they take a sample and have it biopsied. Otherwise, using an operating microscope, they are able to very precisely remove the unwanted tissue without damaging the surrounding skin.
No stitches are required; bandages aren’t even necessary in most cases!
Want to get rid of that mole (unless you’re Cindy Crawford!)? Call us at 410-544-4600 to set up an appointment.
