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dermatology
Do you have unsightly warts, moles or skin tags that you would like to have removed?
Warts
Warts are benign (not cancerous) skin growths that appear when a virus infects the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called human papillomavirus (HPV). You are more likely to get one of these viruses if you cut or damage your skin in some way.
Wart viruses are contagious. Warts can spread by contact with the wart or something that touched the wart.
Moles
Moles are common. Almost every adult has a few moles. Adults who have light skin often have more moles. They may have 10 to 40 moles on their skin. This is normal.
You should not be overly worried about your moles. But you should know:
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A type of skin cancer, melanoma, can grow in or near a mole.
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Caught early and treated, melanoma can be cured.
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The first sign of melanoma is often a change to a mole — or a new mole on your skin.
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Checking your skin can help you find melanoma early. Dr. Zannis can show you how to examine your skin and tell you how often you should check your skin.
How are warts treated?
Warts often go away without treatment. This is especially true when children get warts. In adults, warts may not disappear as easily or as quickly as they do in children. Although most warts are harmless, they can be treated by a doctor.
You should see your doctor if you cannot get rid of the warts, the warts hurt, or you have many warts. Dr. Zannis has several treatments for warts. The treatment used depends on the patient’s age and health as well as the type of wart.
Dr. Zannis may use one of the following treatments:
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Cryotherapy: For common warts in adults and older children, cryotherapy (freezing) is the most common treatment. This treatment is not too painful. It can cause dark spots in people who have dark skin. It is common to need repeat treatments.
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Electrosurgery and curettage: Electrosurgery (burning) is a good treatment for common warts, filiform warts, and foot warts. Curettage involves scraping off (curetting) the wart with a sharp knife or small, spoon-shaped tool. These two procedures often are used together. Dr. Zannis may remove the wart by scraping it off before or after electrosurgery.
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Excision: The doctor may cut out the wart (excision).
How are moles treated?
If Dr. Zannis believes the mole needs to be evaluated further or removed entirely, he will first take a biopsy (small tissue sample of the mole) to examine thin sections of the tissue under a microscope. This is a simple procedure. (If Dr. Zannis thinks the mole might be cancerous, cutting through the mole will not cause the cancer to spread.)
If the mole is found to be cancerous, Dr. Zannis will remove the entire mole by cutting out the entire mole and a rim of normal skin around it, and stitching the wound closed.
Skin Tags
A skin tag is a small flap of tissue that hangs off the skin by a connecting stalk. Skin tags are benign and are not dangerous. They are usually found on the neck, chest, back, armpits, under the breasts, or in the groin area. Skin tags appear most often in women, especially with weight gain, and in middle-aged and elderly people.
Skin tags usually don’t cause any pain. However, they can become irritated if anything such as clothing or jewelry rubs on them.
How are skin tags treated?
Dr. Zannis can remove a skin tag by cutting it off with a scalpel or scissors, with cryotherapy (freezing it off), or with electrosurgery (burning with an electric current).
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