Cheshire Cosmetic

Important facts about mole removal

January 21st, 2011

A mole can look innocent and harmless; it can add beauty to a person and can be referred to as a beauty spot.  Most of the time moles that appear on your face, neck and hands can be very visible. This is when there is a high pigmentation level of the mole. At times it can totally bring down your looks.

Sometimes they can carry the risk of skin cancer as well. So the best option is to remove these skin tags.

Before considering removing moles, it is always best to get to know the facts about the mole removal procedure. You get two types of skin tags benign and malign. Benign moles are harmless, but malign moles which rarely appear in the skin can carry a risk of skin cancer. A malign skin tag can start to bleed, irritate, and change colour and size. If any of these symptoms occur it is better to consult a dermatologist.  It is suggested that you do not remove benign moles unless it disturbs your appearance. If you consider removing a mole it is always better to consult a professional and assess the risk of it.

There are numerous ways to remove moles. Natural remedies are widely used but can take a longer period to remove them. Laser therapy, surgery, using creams can also enable you to treat a stubborn skin tag. Most of the natural remedies and skin creams are best used on benign moles as they do not carry a risk. However if you are treating a malignant one then you will have to use surgical or laser methods to get rid of it. Surgery will effectively remove malign moles from your body as well as the affected cells that could re-grow.

Before performing surgery your dermatologist would inject local anaesthesia into the skin surrounding the mole to numb the area. Then depending on the type of the lesion the doctor would use Excision, Shaving, Laser therapy or Electrocautery. Let us see how these mole removal procedures work?

One of the earliest and long lasting methods that have been used to remove moles is excision.The tissue around the moles is cut using a scalpel, where it even removes the deep mole cells. The wound is then stitched up, guaranteeing the no mole cells are left behind for a re-growth. However this would leave a scar and the prominence depends on how deep the incision was and how big the mole was.

If the skin tag is not deep into the skin your dermatologist may shave it off. A sharp blade is used to remove the protruding mole but will leave cells that might trigger future moles. The best method to remove a lesion without leaving a scar is Laser therapy. A highly concentrated specialised laser is used to vaporise the mole tissue and can only be used to remove flat and superficial moles such as pigmented nevi’s. You would at least have to undergo three treatments to fully remove it.

Electrocautery uses special equipment that burns the superficial layers of skin and can be only used on moles that are not deeply etched into your body. This device does not have the ability to penetrate deeper than the superficial skin layer. So if you are about to get rid of that mole seek assistance from a dermatologist or why not try cosmetic physicians.

Identifying and preventing Melanoma

January 3rd, 2011

A less common type of skin cancer, Melanoma is developed as a malignant tumour the cells known as melanocytes. Melanocytes are responsible for the production of the dark pigment melanin. The World Health Organisation reports about 48,000 deaths occur worldwide due to Melanoma every year. One of the main factors that cause Melanoma is identified to be sun exposure and around 160,000 new cases of malignant melanoma are diagnosed each year. If identified and treated at an early stage one can be cured from Melanoma.

Melanoma can be easily identified and can be summarised as ABCDE; Asymmetry, Borders (irregular), Colour (variance), Diameter (bigger than 6 mm or 0.24 inch, about a size of the back of a pencil) and Evolves over time. This mainly applies if an existing mole changes shape according to the mentioned stages. However if you get a new lump anywhere in your skin which can be nodular melanoma the following characteristics should be monitored; Elevated above skin surface, Firm to the touch and Grows at a noticeable rate. This skin condition should be referred to a dermatologist without delay.

It can be a bit challenging to avoid the sun as you go about your day to day activities. Especially children cannot be kept indoors as they always love to be outdoors and enjoy going to the beach and getting involved in other activities. As a preventive measure you can always use SPF 15 or higher Sunscreens to protect your skin and encourage your kids to use it so they would be protected from contracting skin conditions. Sunscreens should be applied before 30 minutes you leave the premises.

Keep in mind that even if you are travelling in a vehicle, if it is cloudy or snowing your skin still gets exposed to the sun. When you are outdoors and have a tendency to be out under the sun for a long time it is always advisable to wear a hat. Should you be swimming or have been sweating you will have to reapply sunscreen every few hours. Sun beds might give your skin a nice tan, but they can be another factor that damages the skin. Having a healthy diet which includes greenery, fruits along with lean protein can help your skin to be healthy. Vitamin supplements could also be taken to keep you in good health.

Some of the recommended skin care products to control pigmentation problems namely would be: Hydroquinone 4% cream (reduces melanin production), Tretinoin 0.05% cream (increase turnover of skin cells), Azeleic acid 20% cream (reduces melanocyte activity) and Chemical Peels to peel off superficial pigmentation. Intense Pulsed Light and LASER treatments could also be used to destroy abnormal pigmentation on your skin.

Get your skin examined by a dermatologist at least once a year. Immediately consult a dermatologist if you notice any change in your existing moles or a new lump appears on your skin which keeps changing at a rate. When you contract cancer it cannot be completely prevented. However being precautious can reduce the chance of getting cancers like Melanoma.

Safe, effective and quick skin lesion removals by Cheshire Cosmetic Ltd

December 17th, 2010

From our previous blog post you must have recognised what type of skin lesion (mole, wart, cyst of skin tag) you have got.  Once you have identified them you might want to remove them with the safest, effective and quickest way to get back a clear skin.

Most of the skin lesions are not harmful, but you might need to remove them due to cosmetic or practical reasons. Though there are methods to remove them without the help of a medic, it is always better to consult a dermatologist or a cosmetic physician and get your skin lesion removed. The removal of  skin lesion is most probably offered as an outpatient procedure, where as you could return home on the same day.

Skin lesions are removed under local anaesthesia which blocks the pain around the treatment area. Your cosmetic physician would discuss about the procedures before you undergo surgery and also provide you aftercare instructions and what to expect after the surgery.

Depending on the nature of the skin lesions different skin lesion removal methods would be used. Skin lesions are sometimes shaved off your skin to level with the surrounding skin. This is done by a surgical blade or through LASER. It can also be removed by surgical scissors. If your cosmetic physician suspects that your skin lesion has a potential of being a cancerous on; it would cut out entirely and stitched to close the wound. Another method is Cryotherapy which involves in freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen or by the use of creams containing salicylic acid.

Visit our clinic to get the latest and safest skin lesion removals done. Our cosmetic physician also offers you a free consultation at your first visit to the clinic. Book your appointment today.

Identifying Skin Lesions

October 29th, 2010

It can be embarrassing to have a large mole, skin tag, wart or a freckle and you may want to remove them. It is always better to identify what type of skin lesion you have so that the correct methods can be used to remove it.

Moles (Freckles): Freckles, also known as ephelides, can appear on the face, arms and other sun-exposed areas.  Continuous exposure to harmful UV rays can cause the freckles to spread and make them darker. They are harmless but it is best to consult your physician if there is a change in freckle size, shape and colour.

Sebaceous Cysts: Usually present as smooth firm swellings in the skin, which can intermittently become infected. These are caused by blockage of the sebaceous gland of the hair follicle.  Common areas being the face, neck, chest and scalp, treatment usually involves surgical removal under local anesthetic, which leaves a linear scar behind.

Skin tags: Skin tags can vary from a small pin-point size to a large grape size. While some can fall off on their own, there are several ways to medically remove skin tags, including freezing and burning. There are home remedies as well as creams available on the market to remove unwanted and embarrassing skin tags.

Warts: Most warts are skin infections caused by viruses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. Basically, warts are benign tumors of the epidermis (outer layer of skin), and can occur in people of all ages, but are most commonly found on children and teenagers. There are different types, including flat and plantar warts. Flat warts are small in size but can be high in quantity, can spread to other areas of the body by shaving or scratching, and can be transferred person-to-person by physical contact. Plantar warts grow on the heel, ball or sole of the foot, and pressure from standing or walking pushes them into the deeper layers of skin.