Mole Removal

Skin Tag Removal

What is a skin tag?

A skin tag is a common, acquired benign skin growth that looks like a small piece of hanging skin. Skin tags are often described as bits of skin- or flesh-colored tissue that projects from the surrounding skin from a small, narrow stalk. They typically occur in characteristic locations including the neck, underarms, eyelids, and under the breasts (especially where underwire bras rub directly beneath the breasts). Although skin tags may vary somewhat in appearance, they are usually smooth or slightly wrinkled and irregular, flesh-colored or slightly more brown, and hang from the skin by a small stalk. Early or beginning skin tags may be as small as a flattened pinpoint-sized bump around the neck. Some skin tags may be as large as a big grape.

Where do skin tags occur?

Skin tags can occur almost anywhere there is skin. However, favorite areas for tags are the eyelids, neck, armpits, upper chest (particularly under the female breasts), and groin folds. Tags are typically thought to occur in characteristic locations where skin rubs against skin or clothing.

Who tends to get skin tags?

Nearly half of the population is reported to have skin tags at some time. Although tags are generally acquired (not present at birth) and may occur in anyone, more often they arise in adulthood. They are much more common in middle age and they tend to increase in prevalence up to age 60. Children and toddlers may also develop skin tags in the underarm and neck areas.

Since they are thought to arise more readily in areas of skin friction or rubbing, tags are also more common in overweight people.

How do you get rid of a skin tag?

Skin tags are easily and safely removed in a single office visit. They can be cut off after numbing them with a local anesthetic. They can also be frozen with liquid nitrogen. Often this treatment will be covered by medical insurance and medicare

Lump & Bump Removal

Skin growth such as cysts, milia, keratoses and lipomas (fatty lumps) are unsightly and can grow very large if not removed early. They can be removed in our office. We also specialize in scar revision with surgery or lasers. Treatment is very affordable and in many cases, insurance will cover the cost for these treatments.

Wart Treatment

What are warts?

Warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by a viral infection in the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called human papillomavirus (HPV). Warts are usually skin-colored and feel rough to the touch, but they can be dark, flat and smooth. The appearance of a wart depends on where it is growing.

How many kinds of warts are there?

There are several different kinds of warts including:

• Common warts

• Foot (Plantar) warts

• Flat warts

Common warts

usually grow on the fingers, around the nails and on the backs of the hands. They are more common where skin has been broken, for example where fingernails are bitten or hangnails picked. These are often called "seed" warts because the blood vessels to the wart produce black dots that look like seeds.

Foot warts

are usually on the soles (plantar area) of the feet and are called plantar warts. When plantar warts grow in clusters they are known as mosaic warts. Most plantar warts do not stick up above the surface like common warts because the pressure of walking flattens them and pushes them back into the skin. Like common warts, these warts may have black dots. Plantar warts have a bad reputation because they can be painful, feeling like a stone in the shoe.

Flat Warts

are smaller and smoother than other warts. They tend to grow in large numbers - 20 to 100 at any one time. They can occur anywhere, but in children they are most common on the face. In adults they are often found in the beard area in men and on the legs in women. Irritation from shaving probably accounts for this.

How do you get warts?

Warts are passed from person to person, sometimes indirectly. The time from the first contact to the time the warts have grown large enough to be seen is often several months. The risk of catching hand, foot, or flat warts from another person is small.

Why do some people get warts and others don't?

Some people get warts depending on how often they are exposed to the virus. Wart viruses occur more easily if the skin has been damaged in some way, which explains the high frequency of warts in children who bite their nails or pick at hangnails. Some people are just more likely to catch the wart virus than are others, just as some people catch colds very easily. Patients with a weakened immune system also are more prone to a wart virus infection.

Do warts need to be treated?

In children, warts can disappear without treatment over a period of several months to years. However, warts that are bothersome, painful, or rapidly multiplying should be treated. Warts in adults often do not disappear as easily or as quickly as they do in children.

How do we treat warts?

Dr. Werner is trained to use a variety of treatments, depending on the age of the patient and the type of wart.

Common Warts

in young children can be treated at home by their parents on a daily basis by applying salicylic acid gel, solution or plaster. There is usually little discomfort but it can take many weeks of treatment to obtain favorable results. Treatment should be stopped at least temporarily if the wart becomes sore. Warts may also be treated by "painting" with cantharidin in the dermatologist's office. Cantharidin causes a blister to form under the wart. The dermatologist can then clip away the dead part of the wart in the blister roof in a week or so.

For adults and older children cryotherapy (freezing) is generally preferred. This treatment is not too painful and rarely results in scarring. However, repeat treatments at one to three week intervals are often necessary. Electrosurgery (burning) is another good alternative treatment. Laser treatment can also be used for resistant warts that have not responded to other therapies.

Foot Warts

are difficult to treat because the bulk of the wart lies below the skin surface. Treatments include the use of salicylic acid plasters, applying other chemicals to the wart, or one of the surgical treatments including laser surgery, electrosurgery, or cutting.

Flat Warts

are often too numerous to treat with methods mentioned above. As a result, "peeling" methods using daily applications of salicylic acid, tretinoin, glycolic acid or other surface peeling preparations are often recommended. For some adults, periodic office treatments for surgical treatments are sometimes necessary.

Most insurances and Medicare will pay for wart treatment.

Skin Cancer - Diagnose & Treatment

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The two most common types are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. They usually form on the head, face, neck, hands and arms. Another type of skin cancer, melanoma is more dangerous but less common.

Anyone can get skin cancer, but it is more common in people who

• Spend a lot of time in the sun or have been sunburned
• Have light-colored skin, hair and eyes
• Have a family member with skin cancer
• Are over age 40

You should have a doctor check any suspicious skin markings and any changes in the way your skin looks. Treatment is more likely to work well when cancer is found early. If not treated, some types of skin cancer cells can spread to other tissues and organs.

Dr. Werner has diagnosed and treated skin cancer since 1993. Medical insurance and Medicare will usually pay for screening and treatment.

La Quinta Medspa offers:

Liquid Nitrogen

Efudex

Levulan Photodynamic Therapy

Fraxel, Chemical Peels

Biopsy and Excison of pre-cancerous and cancerous growths.

Earlobe Repair

Ear-lobes can become stretched or torn by the heavy hoops and earrings that are in style or by accident. Or teenagers soon find out that the “gauges” that were so cool, now are hurting them in the job market.

La Quinta Medspa offers twenty years of experience in the surgical repair of torn or stretched earlobes.

We also offer filler treatment with Restylane and Juvederm to thicken and support the earlobe so you can wear heavier earrings.