Party season has arrived so it’s time to glam up! That means dazzling dresses, high heels and plenty of sparkle. But nothing ruins the look of an elegant off-the-shoulder cocktail dress like an irritating skin tag. Forget open-toed heels if you’ve got a verruca. And who wants to show off perfectly polished nails if you’ve got an unsightly wart on your finger? These little things can have a big impact on your outfit choice, and your confidence. As Christmas is the one time of year everyone wants to shine, we’re here to show you that you don’t have to let skin lesions spoil your look or your fun. You can get rid of them quickly and safely at the DRVICTORIA™ Clinic. And now’s the time to do it!
Skin tags, warts and verrucas (a trio you don’t want on your Christmas wishlist!)
Skin tags (acrochordons) are benign skin growths that typically appear in and around skin folds such as the eyelids, neck, underarms and buttocks. These tags are fibrous and vascular, and they bleed easily if nicked (which you’ll know if you’ve ever had the misfortune of catching one in a zip!)
Warts are small, hard blisters caused by the human papillomavirus infection (HPV). Common warts (verruca vulgaris) appear mostly on the hands and are usually painless. Flat warts (verruca plana) are flatter in size and appear most commonly on the face and neck. Filiform warts (digitate wart) appear like a thread, similar to a skin tag, and are usually found on the eyelid. It is important to stress that warts are not caused by poor hygiene – anyone can get them, no matter how frequently or vigorously you wash your hands.
Verrucas (or plantar warts) appear on the soles of the feet and can be painless for some people and uncomfortable for others. They can be caught by “Direct contact with infected skin scales – for example from the floors of public changing rooms, shower cubicles and the areas around swimming pools. They can also be spread by autoinoculation, which happens when the warts are transferred to surrounding skin through scratching and rubbing” (Ref 1).
Whilst skin tags, warts and verrucas are not a health risk, it’s understandable that anyone with one of these skin lesions will want to get rid of it. Especially when you realise how quick and easy that is to do…
First things first – get it checked
I take the health and wellbeing of all patients incredibly seriously, so during your consultation I will carefully assess your skin lesion before proceeding with any treatment.
If I have any concerns about the appearance of a lesion, I can examine its structure and pattern in detail using a dermoscope. If necessary, I can send images to a dermatologist referral service for a confirmed diagnosis on whether the lesion is benign or suspicious. Thankfully, it’s a quick turnaround and you should get your results in less than a week. If it is definitely benign, I can safely proceed to remove it using cryosurgery.
A little preparation goes a long way
You don’t need to do anything in preparation for having a skin tag removed. However, if you have a wart or verruca, I recommend you do the following in the days leading up to your appointment:
- Soak the lesion in a bowl of warm soapy water for 20 minutes.
- With a pumice stone or emery board, gently scrub the lesion until the skin becomes rough. This will allow the nitrous oxide to penetrate deeper. The deeper it can penetrate, the better the chance of removal.
- Do not scrub so hard that it makes the area worse.
- Discontinue if bleeding occurs (you don’t want to cause discomfort or create an open wound).
Say goodbye to your skin lesion with cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is an effective way to treat skin lesions such as skin tags, warts and verrucas. It involves “The controlled destruction of unwanted tissue by the precise application of extreme cold. The process is called cryonecrosis, tissue destruction by freezing. Rapid freezing to 27 °C and more will produce cryonecrosis in all benign human tissues and ice crystals will form. The ice crystals break the cell membrane, destroy the cells organelles and protein matrixes. Water then rushes into the surrounding area causing blistering and disruption of the local blood supply” (Ref 2).
Multiple studies show how quick, easy, safe and effective cryosurgery is at permanently removing unwanted skin lesions. All agree that it “Produces excellent cosmetic results, and is well tolerated” (Ref 3).
At DRVICTORIA™ Clinic, we are able to offer precision cryosurgery using the advanced CryoPen®. The treatment takes just seconds, no anaesthesia is required and there is minimal scarring. It doesn’t involve cutting the skin so there is no bleeding, sutures or risk of infection.
After targeting your skin lesion with the CryoPen®, it may sting a little and the area surrounding the treated area may be red and itchy. This is normal and will gradually fade. The treated skin lesion itself will turn a reddish colour, then gradually turn darker from the base, dry up, and fall off as the skin heals beneath it. This can take anywhere between 1-6 weeks, depending on the size of the skin lesion, and multiple treatments may be required.
Aftercare advice to take you right through to party season
There are a few key things to remember to ensure you get the best results after your cryosurgery treatment:
- Ideally, keep the treated area dry and uncovered.
- When the scab forms, don’t pick it.
- Avoid exposing the treated area to the sun.
Follow this advice and you may well be able to forget about your skin lesions and instead start thinking about which glamorous outfit you’re going to turn heads in this party season! That said, every skin lesion is different and everyone responds differently to treatment, so multiple sessions may be required. So even if it's the case that you're not quite lesion-free by Christmas, you can expect to enjoy the results in the New Year!
If you have a lesion concerning you book a CryoPen appointment with me to explore your options.
Elspeth
PS I made a wee video showing just how quick and comfortable removing a skin tag can be.
Authors experience
Nurse and facial aesthetics Elspeth has more than 8 years of experience in nursing and patient care, and specialises in injectable treatments. By safely and effectively removing unwanted lesions, she has helped countless people feel good in their own skin.
References
- British Skin Foundation, Plantar Warts (Verrucas)
- CryoPen®, FAQs
- National Library of Medicine, Clinical Practice Trends in Cryosurgery: A Retrospective Study of Cutaneous Lesions, Afsar, Erkan, Karaca, 2015
