The American Academy of Dermatology states approximately 9,500 people a day are diagnosed with skin cancer. With such grim statistics, no wonder most people start to worry any time they develop a skin tag, or a wart.
You might be wondering how to tell all of the various skin problems apart. Here are a few tips on how to understand the differences:
- Warts: Warts frequently occur on the hands, knees and feet. They appear as hard bumps. The surface of the wart might look smooth or rough with an uneven surface. Warts are caused by a virus, which means they are highly contagious. Ideally, any time you have a wart, you should promptly have the suspicious spot removed, so you do not pass the virus on to someone else. If you visit a pharmacy, you will see a wide array of at-home treatments for sale over-the-counter. Unfortunately, very few of such products are effective. The virus lives deep within the skin cells, so if you do not get rid of all of the infected skin cells, then the wart will regrow. To effectively treat warts you should seek out the help of a dermatologist.
- Skin Tags: A skin tag occurs as a direct result of friction. They often grow in the armpits or other areas of the body that rub against clothing. Skin tags can become sore and irritated if not removed.
If you think you may have either warts or skin tags, contact our office today.