What is a Wart?

A wart is a small and rough tumor that grows on your skin, more commonly on your hands and feet. It can however grow on other parts of your body. Warts are very common and generally they are non-cancerous. A wart usually resembles a cauliflower or a blister. It's color is different from the color of the nearby skin. In fact it is usually darker or lighter than the nearby skin. Although they are usually painless, sometimes because of their location, they may itch or burn. Most of the different types of warts that exist are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus or HPV. The human papilloma virus is contagious and so you can get it from another person. There are mainly 4 different types of warts: • Plantar • Flat • Genital • Common Plantar warts are also referred to as foot warts and are typically found on the bottom of the foot. They are usually very flat because of the pressure caused by walking. However the constant pressure forces this type to grow back inside the foot! Flat warts are smoother and much smaller than the other types of warts. They are light in color and tend to be subtle variations from the skin pigmentation. They typically occur on the arms, knees, and hands. Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease. They can be anywhere in the genital area including the anus, penis or vagina, inside of the rectum and inside the reproductive organs. This type of warts is considered to be the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD). Common Warts are often found on or around the hands, especially in areas where the skin has been broken by ripped hangnails or broken nails. The different types of warts can be removed by various warts treatments such as: • Electrosurgery • Laser therapy • Cryosurgery • Over the Counter medications and Home Treatments In Electrosurgery an electric current is used to burn them. In Laser therapy a concentrated beam of light is used to destroy them. Cryosurgery uses very low temperatures to freeze them. Electrosurgery, laser therapy and cryosurgery are a type of surgery. These treatments often require an anesthesia and you may have to attend for more than one session to treat your warts. You will also have some discomforts after the treatment. Not all the above mentioned treatments may be adequate for all the different types of warts. Over the counter medications and home treatments are also very commonly used. These methods do not require anesthesia and can cure various type of warts. Some of these treatments produce excellent results.

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What Are the 5 Main Types of Skin Moles?

What Are the 5 Main Types of Skin Moles?

Different types of skin moles have different characteristics and properties. It is therefore important to be aware of the main types of skin moles that exist.

Skin moles are growths on the skin. They are usually round or oval-shaped. Their color is generally brown but can vary to different shades.

They are very common and they can occur all over the body but they occur more frequently on the trunk of the body, face and arms.

There are mainly 5 types:

• Junctional Moles: These are typically some shade of brown and can be very slightly raised above the skin or completely flat

• Compound Moles: These growths are usually raised and can be of a tan shade all the way through the color wheel to a deep brown. This type involves melanocytes (which are the cells that produce our skin color) and can be found in the upper and lower layers of the skin.

• Dermal Moles: These types of growths can contain hair and are very common on the upper half of the body. They can be the same color as the flesh all the way through a dark brown.

• Blue Moles: These are always raised slightly and as the name indicates are a deep brown or blue in color. They pull this color from deep down in the skin. Women have these type of growths much more commonly than men.

• Sebaceous Moles: This type of growth does not resemble the rest in that they are very rough to the touch and typically yellow in color. They are caused by oil glands being a bit over-active

Most of the different types of growths are non-cancerous but if your notice any changes in them you should seek medical attention. Some may develop into a cancerous growth.

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Your Warts and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) - What Are the Characteristics of This Virus

Most of us have probably been forced to deal with warts at one time or another, whether personally or while supporting loved ones. A wart is a skin tumor and is typically composed of a small lump on the outer layer of the skin. There are many different types of warts and they are usually classified both by their location on the body and by their appearance. These skin growths are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. The human papilloma virus is contagious and can pass from one person to another. It can also be transmitted by touching an object torched by a contaminated person. The HPV has also a tendency to contaminate other areas in the same body. It is easily transferred from person to person when the skin has been opened through a scratch, cut, or abrasion. The strains of the human papilloma virus that causes genital warts can easily be transmitted through sexual activity. Being a carrier of this virus does not always mean that you will develop warts. Many individuals are carriers of this virus but may not develop any growth themselves. They can however transmit this virus to other individual. Children and young people seem to be most susceptible to this virus, though it can really affect anyone. The virus is most contagious in its very early stages. However, anyone with a history of HPV can spread it. Sometimes years can go by before warts appear as a result of the infection. HIV or medications that suppress the immune system make people much more susceptible to this virus and so increase the likelihood of developing warts. If a person is healthy and active, sometimes the immune system can destroy the wart on its own. A healthy diet may also help to strengthen the immune system. HPV has been associated with warts but in recent years it has been discovered that it can cause certain types of genital cancers and abnormal growth in the eye as well. The preferred habitats for the human papilloma virus are warm and moist environments. It can easily be found in places where water is used such as bathrooms and swimming pool areas. It can also more easily be found in public places where water is used since such places are frequented by many individuals. These places include public shower floors, public swimming pool floors, gyms and locker rooms. It can also be found in shoes! If you take the appropriate precautions you will decrease the chances to be contaminated with the human papilloma virus. Refrain to go barefooted in the areas described above a far as you can, especially if it is a public place. Further more refrain from touching your wart and then touching another part of your body. This may transfer the HPV from that wart to other areas of your body and so contaminating that other part.

Remove a Skin Tag by Electro-Cauterization - What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages

You can remove a skin tag by electro-cauterization. Treating skin tags by this procedure involves the application of electricity to heat an instrument or needle. Afterwards this needle is put in contact with the skin tag in order to burn the cells of such growth.

Basically electro-cauterization involves 7 main steps:

• The area to be treated is numbed by a local anesthetic
• The areas is treated throughout
• The heated needle is put in contact with the skin tag
• The cells of growth are burned
• The physician removes the burned cells
• A specimen may be sent to the lab for further analysis
• A bandage is applied and instructions are given so it will heal adequately.

Treating skin tags by this procedure may be a bit painful. Some discomforts occur both during and after the treatment.

Healing time depends on the healing ability of individual and also on the characteristics of the growth treated.

Advantages of this skin tag cure include:

• It is a quick method
• Generally it is less expensive than other types of surgeries such as laser and cryosurgery
• Usually one session is enough. In the case of cryosurgery or laser therapy you may have to make more than one visit to your physician to treat the same growths.

Treating skin tags with electro-cauterization has the following disadvantages:

• The procedure is quite invasive
• It is painful. Discomforts may also continue for some days after the treatment.
• Healing times may be long
• It may produce some scaring

It is also important to be well informed by a qualified health practitioner if in your particular case it is adequate to remove a skin tag by this procedure. Electro-cauterization may be unsuitable for some individuals with certain medical conditions such as heart disease and other medical conditions.

If your decide to remove a skin tag by electro-cauterization, be also well informed from a professional physician about certain symptoms that may occur after the treatment since such symptoms may be a sign of infections.

What Causes Skin Moles?

Skin moles are growths on the skin, often round or oval-shaped with a dark color. The color may however vary to different shades.

Some skin moles are flat while others are a bit raised from the skin.A skin mole is caused by the melanocyte cells in the skin. These cells produce melanin and are responsible for the color of the skin, eyes and hair.

It is formed when melanocyte cells do not spread thought the skin but grow in clusters.Usually melanocyte cells grow normally and so the growth is usually benign. However in certain cases the melanocye cells may start to grow in an abnormal way, which may result in melanoma, a cancer of the skin.Skin moles are very common.

Most of them are present at birth while others appear as the person grows older. Some may also disappear with age. Their main causes depend mainly on:- Heredity - Exposure to sunlight - Hormonal changes - AgeThey may become darker.

The principle reason for this is too much exposure to sunlight. Heavy exposure to sunlight during childhood and the teenage years highly increases the chances of developing new skin moles or that current ones increase in size.

Sun beds and tanning saloons can also increase their growth.Our genes determine many factors. If your parents have plenty of skin moles, probably you will have a lot too.

Further more a history of skin cancer in your family also increases the risk that a mole may grow or develops into a cancerous growth.Hormonal changes also make them to grow or new ones to appear. This may more commonly happen during pregnancy, the menopausal stage and during teenage years.Generally as we get older, some tend to disappear.