Products Used to Remove Moles and Skin Tags May Be Risky

When it comes to the dangers of utilizing unapproved treatments to remove moles, skin tags, and another type of growth known as seborrheic keratoses, both dermatologists and the US Food and Drug Administration issue cautions. Doing so may camouflage skin cancer, making it more challenging for medical personnel to discover and treat it as soon as possible, in addition to the potential for scarring and infection.

There are no approved prescription or over-the-counter medications for treating moles, skin tags, or seborrheic keratoses, according to an FDA advisory. The FDA issued a warning that items sold for this purpose, including ointments, gels, sticks, and liquids, may contain extremely high concentrations of salicylic acid and other harmful ingredients.

Acid-containing products can be caustic to the skin and are not commonly utilized in dermatological offices because there are so many alternative treatment choices. Treatment or removal is determined on the diagnosis. A doctor may numb and clip a simple skin tag before giving drugs to halt the bleeding, all in a sterile manner to reduce infection risk and scarring. If the seborrheic keratosis is tiny, it can be removed with a blade, frozen, or cauterized. A laser is sometimes utilized. It is up to the person whether to get something innocuous removed.

If a person does not like the appearance of the lesion or if it bothers them, a board-certified dermatologist can provide a correct diagnosis and advice on the best strategy for eradicating it. A dermatologist should be consulted if a new growth persists for more than three or four weeks. Scaliness, a pearly or glossy appearance to the lesion, and a change in pigmentation or color are all warning signals that you should see a dermatologist.