Skin Lesions Specialist

What are skin lesions?

There are a variety of lesions that can develop on your skin. While most of them are benign, some can be an indication of an underlying medical condition or cancer.

The most common types of skin lesions include:

Moles

Moles are small growths that appear anywhere on the body due to an overproduction of pigment-producing cells. Moles can be skin-colored, dark brown, or black. Moles that grow quickly or change color or shape may be a sign of cancer.

Warts

Warts are small, rough-textured skin growths that can grow anywhere on your skin and are the result of a virus in the human papillomavirus (HPV) family.

Corns

Corns are thick layers of hardened skin that develop in areas prone to friction or pressure, such as your feet and hands, as your skin tries to protect itself.

Skin tags

Skin tags are soft skin growths that form in the folds of your skin, such as your neck, groin, and eyelids. The tags are the result of loose collagen fibers that get trapped in thicker areas of your skin, often due to persistent pressure or friction.

Keloids

Keloids are raised scars that can occur after you heal from a skin injury. They can be more unsightly than other types of scars because keloids are raised bumps. The scars might appear up to three months after a skin injury and continue to increase in size over time.

 

When should I seek treatment for skin lesions?

If you develop a new mole, painful corn, or other skin lesions, it’s always a good idea to schedule a skin evaluation at Southwest Family Medicine Associates to ensure there are no concerns for infection or cancer.

Your Southwest Family Medicine Associates provider can assess the growth and your overall skin health. If the lesion is bothersome or affecting your self-confidence, they can recommend the right treatment plan.

 

What treatments are available for skin lesions?

In some cases, moles, skin tags, and other lesions that aren’t considered harmful can be left alone. However, if the lesion interferes with your appearance or becomes painful, your Southwest Family Medicine Associates provider may recommend removal with laser treatments.

The medical team uses Fotona laser technology to safely remove skin lesions without harming the surrounding skin tissue. The laser system uses different wavelengths of energy to eliminate lesions quickly and no medications are needed throughout your treatment

The laser system is also capable of producing short, intense pulses of light. Pigmented skin lesions, like moles, absorb this light energy, which destroys their structure. This causes the lesion to shrink and disappear.

If you’re looking for nonsurgical removal options for bothersome skin lesions, schedule a free consultation by clicking the request appointment button today and select Cheryl McLeod, our Laser Technician. You can also text our office at 214.393.6863 or call Cheryl directly at 469.893.1244 or our main office number at 214.393.2940.

 

What are the symptoms of keloids?

If you develop a keloid, you might experience the following signs and symptoms:

• Lumpy or ridged skin
• Flesh-colored, pink, or red raised areas
• Tender or itchy bumps
• Irritation or friction when skin rubs on clothing
• A scar that increases in size over time
• Scars that appear darker than your surrounding skin

If a raised scar doesn’t improve or it gets larger over time, see the specialists at Southwest Family Medicine Associates to review your treatment options.

 

What are the risk factors for keloids?

Any type of skin injury can cause a keloid. Examples include:

• Cuts
• Burns
• Surgical scars
• Tattoos
• Body piercings
• Severe acne
• Puncture wounds
• Chickenpox
• Insect bites

Going through puberty or pregnancy, or being younger than 30, increases your risk of developing keloids. You are 15%-20% more likely to develop them if you have dark-colored skin.

 

How are keloids treated?

Your Southwest Family Medicine Associates practitioner reviews your medical history and examines your keloid to determine which treatment best suits your needs. They might suggest one or more of the following:

Steroid injections

Your doctor can inject corticosteroids into your keloid to reduce its volume and make it less noticeable or disappear. This treatment is fast and virtually painless as your provider can use numbing cream if you’d like to make the injection feel comfortable.

Laser treatment

Your doctor can use laser treatment to reduce the size of, flatten, and fade the color of keloids without surgery, cutting, needles, medication, or downtime.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy involves freezing a keloid without affecting the skin beneath it. The treatment reduces the size and firmness of your scar by shrinking it. You might require more than one cryotherapy procedure to achieve the most desirable outcome.

Don’t let raised keloid scars diminish your self-confidence when simple, noninvasive solutions are available at Southwest Family Medicine Associates. If you’re looking for nonsurgical removal options for bothersome skin lesions, schedule a free consultation by clicking the request appointment button today and select Cheryl McLeod, our Laser Technician and learn more about your options. You can also text our office at 214.393.6863 or call Cheryl directly at 469.893.1244 or our main office number at 214.393.2940