Mole & Skin Tag Removal
At Transform Clinic Riccarton in Christchurch and at Transform Clinic Dunedin, we provide removals for moles and skin tags, as well as other legions like blemishes, seborrhoeic warts, and benign skin cancers.
Our services are comprehensive, with all moles & other abnormal lesions being sent for skin cancer testing.
All moles are assessed for skin cancer by a doctor, by dermascopy or siascopy. Suspicious lesions are sent for histological examination by a pathologist. Dr Little has postgraduate training and a certificate in primary care skin cancer surgery from the University of Queensland.
What are skin tags?
Skin tags are harmless lesions that grow outwardly from the skin when the body produces extra top layer skin cells. Also known as acrochordons, skin tags tend to be red or skin-colored and range in size from as small as 1-2mm up to 2cm.
They often form in areas where natural movement causes skin to rub against itself or clothing, such as the neck, upper chest, underarms, and eyelids.
And though they’re present in over 50% of adults, they are known to be associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and genetic factors.
Fortunately, they are often painless and completely harmless, aside from cosmetic purposes.
What are moles?
Moles are raised brown or black skin growths that often appear during early childhood years. They can be found anywhere on your skin, both alone and in clusters.
And similarly to skin tags, moles that form in the early years of life are often painless and harmless. These are known as congenital nevi. However, any congenital nevi moles that appear irregularly large in size should be examined by a medical professional.
Moles that develop later in life, known as dysplastic nevi, often present a greater health risk, especially if greater than ~5mm in size. These dysplastic nevi have a much greater chance of becoming melanoma (skin cancer).