Skin Tags & Moles

Results from Kaiteki patients

Before and after photos of patients treated at Kaiteki for birthmark.

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  Pigmented birthmark around the mouth, before and after laser treatment at Kaiteki

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  Port-wine stain on the back of the neck, before and after vascular laser at Kaiteki

What are skin tags and moles?

Why skin tags appear

Often more than one of these:

• Friction: skin rubbing against skin, collars, bra straps or jewellery, which is why the neck, underarms and groin are common sites.
• Insulin resistance and weight: multiple skin tags are associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and higher body weight. Many skin tags appearing over a short time is worth mentioning to your doctor.
• Hormonal change: tags often appear or grow during pregnancy.
• Age and family history: they become more common from middle age, and tend to run in families.

Is it a skin tag, a mole or something else?

What the growth is decides whether it can be removed straight away, and how. A doctor confirms which it is before any removal.

Where to check, and why it differs on Asian skin

Skin tags favour folds. Melanoma, the most serious skin cancer, is rare in Asian skin, but when it does occur it is more often in places people do not think to look.

• Neck, underarms, eyelids and groin

  The usual places for skin tags, where skin folds and rubs.

• Palms, soles and under the nails

  In Asian populations, the most common type of melanoma (acral lentiginous melanoma) appears on the palms, the soles of the feet and under the nails. A new or changing dark patch there, or a dark streak along a nail, should be examined rather than removed.

• Face and body

  Most moles on the face and trunk are harmless, but the face is also where removal leaves the most visible mark, so the method matters.

• Around the genitals or anus?

  A growth there may look like a skin tag but be a wart or another condition that needs medical care. See a doctor or GP for a diagnosis first.

When to see a doctor

Have a growth examined promptly if:

• A mole is new in adulthood, or is changing in size, shape or colour.
• A mole is asymmetrical, has an irregular border, several colours, or is larger than about 6 mm.
• A spot itches, bleeds, crusts or will not heal.
• A new dark patch appears on a palm or sole, or a dark streak appears along a nail.
• Many skin tags have appeared over a short time.

Treatment options at Kaiteki

Removal is considered once the doctor has confirmed what the growth is.

• Resurfacing Laser

  For confirmed skin tags and harmless moles

  A CO2 laser vaporises the growth layer by layer with little bleeding. Other methods include freezing (cryotherapy), electrocautery and snipping or cutting out. Laser leaves nothing to test, which is why a mole that needs testing is cut out instead.

  Resurfacing Laser

Removal is never a substitute for diagnosis. If the doctor is not sure what a growth is, it is not lasered.

Technology used

Having more than one platform means the doctor can match the device to your skin type and to what is being treated, rather than fitting your skin to a single machine.

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  Device

  Fractional CO2

  A fractional ablative CO2 resurfacing laser that creates controlled columns of micro-injury, used within resurfacing-laser treatment for texture and scarring.

  Learn more

Risks and what to expect

• A mark at the site

  Any removal leaves a small mark while it heals, usually a pink or crusted spot. Some marks fade fully and some leave a small lighter or depressed spot.

• Darkening on Malaysian skin

  Medium and deeper skin tones carry a higher chance of temporary darkening (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) at the site. Sun protection while it heals reduces the risk.

• Raised scars at some sites

  The chest, shoulders and upper back are more prone to raised (hypertrophic or keloid) scarring, particularly if you have had keloids before. Tell your doctor.

• What removal cannot do

  Removing a skin tag does not stop new ones forming, and a mole can occasionally regrow from cells left deep in the skin. Laser removal of a mole leaves no tissue to test.

Tell your doctor if you have a history of keloids or skin cancer, take blood thinners or any other medication, have diabetes, are pregnant, or have had recent sun exposure.

What your first visit involves

The visit decides what the growth is before it decides how to remove it.

1. 1

   History

   How long it has been there, whether it has changed, and any personal or family history of skin cancer.

2. 2

   Examination

   The doctor examines the growth, sometimes under magnification with a dermatoscope.

3. 3

   Plan

   Removal, monitoring, testing or referral, with the options, risks and aftercare explained and no obligation to proceed.

What affects the cost

Pricing is set after the examination. It depends on:

• How many growths are removed, and their size.
• Where they are: the face and eyelids need more care.
• Whether a growth is lasered, or cut out and sent for laboratory testing.

Common questions