Wondering How To Remove Lumps And Bumps Safely?

It’s a fact of life that a number of lumps and bumps can appear on our skin for a variety of reasons. Thankfully, the majority of these are not serious. Lumps and bumps refer to any lump or bump that may be present on your skin. Most lumps and bumps are harmless.

Most people will have a lump or a bump on their skin that has developed during a time and, although it poses no risk to their health, often would like to have it removed by a private dermatologist. Our in house consultant dermatologist Emma Kamasho will help you better understand your skin during our skin consultation, book an appointment today and be treated in a compassionate and empowering way.

Now, First Things First

Before selecting how to remove lumps and bumps from your skin, it is important that you first have a medical diagnosis so that we can ensure that no melanoma is present and also understand what your concern is and therefore how to treat it. Many people book their appointment suggesting they have a ‘mole’ or a ‘skin tag’ and frequently it’s diagnosed as another type of benign skin concern. Our in house dermatologist Emma Kamasho, will examine your skin and where necessary, take a tissue sample for further examination.

Following your medical diagnosis, it is really important to remember that it is never advisable to try and remove any type of lumps and bumps yourself as you risk a painful removal, resulting in an infected wound and later, scarring. This is particularly important for mole removal but applies to all types of skin lesions as you may end up partially removing something that is possibly sinister (if you are waiting on the results of an investigation) and causes further health problems for yourself.

What Causes Lumps and Bumps?

There are lots of different causes for lumps or bumps to appear on the skin and these will vary depending on the type of lump it is. For example, you may have a build-up of cells which can form moles, skin tags or even keloid scarring. Most lumps or growths under your skin aren’t uncommon. It’s completely normal to have one or more of these throughout your life and they are commonly found all over your body. A lump can form on your skin for many reasons. We offer our private patients a clinical examination by our in house dermatologist after which

What Are the Different Types of Lumps and Bumps?

1. Moles

A mole is a growth on the skin that is usually brown or black in colour. They are very common and are caused when a collection of pigmented skin cells called melanocytes form as a cluster on the skin. Moles can appear anywhere on the body.

2. Skin Tags

Whilst skin tags may appear harmless, as a general rule they only appear in areas where there’s friction. So, if there’s one that has appeared in an area that has no friction, get it checked out by your doctor first. Our nurses are qualified to remove skin tags, and there will always be a pre-screening for your safety prior to any treatment, with a referral to the dermatologist if they think it needs further investigation.

3. Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcoma refers to cancer that begins in the muscle, fat cells, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, or other supporting tissue of the body. Soft tissue sarcomas can appear in the form of lumps and bumps, which is why having regular checkups at a certified clinic is essential.

4. Warts & Verrucas

Warts are small lumps that most commonly appear on the hands whilst Verrucae appear on the feet. Warts and Verrucae are caused by a virus which causes an excess of keratin to develop on the top layer of skin which results in a rough hard texture. Although they are not considered contagious; they can be spread from person to person so great care should be taken. They can be removed in our clinic under local anaesthetic with benign lesions.

5. Keloid Scars

A keloid scar is usually a development of a previous scar or wound on your body such as a piercing. They are often raised and red in colour and can spread to become larger than the original wound. After an initial consultation, they can be removed easily in a clinic appointment with our in house dermatologist Emma Kamasho.

6. Cysts

A skin cyst is a round lump just underneath the skin filled with fluid. There are lots of different types of cysts including sebaceous cysts (a small sac filled with sebum) or epidermoid (a lump containing skin cells and protein). They can range in size and in most cases they are benign. After an initial consultation, they can be removed easily in a clinic appointment with our in house dermatologist Emma Kamasho.

What Can Be Removed Safely

Harmless skin growths such as skin tags, some lipomas, Seborrhoeic Warts, Intradermal naevus, Xanthelasma and benign moles can all be removed safely in our Clinic. Whilst these can be left untreated, you may have found that they catch on your clothing, feel uncomfortable or just look unsightly and therefore would prefer to have them removed.

The good news is that this is usually a simple procedure under local anaesthetic by one of our nurses.

Removal Treatment Options

At your initial consultation, we will discuss with you the appropriate removal procedure for your skin issue. We ensure that you know what to expect throughout the process and how many treatments are usually required. It is worth noting that although you may have a treatment preference for your skin lesion, your practitioner will only recommend the most effective and safe methods of removal for you as an individual based on their assessment of you.

1. Hyfrecation or Electrocautery Treatment

We use a Hyfrecator, which looks a bit like a pen with a metal loop on it, that uses an electric current to cauterise the affected tissue. This treatment is particularly used for the removal of skin tags, intradermal n. and some milia.

2. Curettage Treatment

This is the removal of tissue or growths from the skin by scraping or scooping it with a curette. This treatment is particularly used for the removal of moles intradermal, warts and verrucae.

3. Excision

Excision is the term for simply cutting out the affected area including moles, some scars, potential skin cancers and other skin concerns you need a diagnosis for (these will be sent for histology before any treatment is carried out).

Disclaimer: This blog is not to be used for diagnostic purposes. We are all unique which means that our results, recovery and suitability for any type of treatment will vary. Always seek the advice of a professional should you have any health or cosmetic concerns or to discuss treatments specifically for you.