- Every so often, usually in conjuncture with the flu or other illness, I get these spots on my heat that become REALLY sensitive. There’s no actual “spot,” no lump, bump, or colored area, just a point on my head around half an inch in diameter that becomes really sensitive to the movement of my scalp, hair, and touch. It’s a quick pain that doesn’t last but a mere instant, but the place stays sensitive for a good number of days. So far, no one’s been able to tell me what it is, so I was wondering if someone out there would know.
- Now, I’ve noticed this more in older people (I’m 22, so I’m talking 50+ here), mainly on areas like the neck, sometimes the face, where it looks as though a small bit of skin has decided it’s going to stick out a few centimeters. I guess it’s something common, like moles and whatnot, but what the hell is it? Are they moles? Could they signify skin cancer? If one decided to just cut them all off with a razor, would that be bad? Okay, I’ll leave you with that for now.
Suggestion (I know, it’s obvious): Ask your doctor. If they are symptoms of some serious condition, it’s better to not wait.
I dunno about #1, but #2 could be a condition called “skin tags”. These are just little bits of skin that hang out and aren’t harmful. You can have them removed at the doctor’s office, if they bother you that much.
Robin
I would also think that #2 are skin tags. If you have a good insurance plan, you can have a doctor remove them, but they are harmless. They just don’t look nice. I had one removed because I had shaved over it and then it became ingrown and looked really nasty. My doctor cut it off, a procedure that took about 5 minutes, nearly all of that taken up by giving me a local anesthetic and then sterilizing the area (probably the other way around).
I wouldn’t recommend self-surgery because you could give yourself an infection and then you will have a problem.
I frequently get skin tags. Generally, I just snip them off with a VERY clean pair of cuticle scissors, and then put astringent on the wound. I am not a doctor, nor am I advising anyone else to do this…but my doctor is OK with ME doing this. I’ve had them removed by health care professionals (doctors, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners) and I’ve never had any anesthesia. Usually the HCP will just use liquid nitrogen, an electric needle or a laser to remove the thing. If you get your choice, I advise going with an electric needle or a laser. The person doing the removal has finer control over the instrument, and less healthy tissue is destroyed, plus it looks better immediately afterwards.
I’ve had moles removed, too, and with those the doc DID use a local anesthetic, but in that case he also took a scalpel to the mole and sent it in to the lab to check for abnormal cells.
Skin tags (also called acrochordons) are pretty common in the general population. They are especially prevalent in people with a tendency to develop diabetes (noninsulin dependent). One explanation for this observation is that most people with a diabetic tendency are insulin resistant (they don’t respond to normal levels of insulin). As a consequence, they make more insulin than normal to overcome this resistance. The resulting high levels of insulin stimulate the growth of these skin tags.
How do high levels of insulin stimulate skin tag growth? Possibly by imitating the action of other growth factors. This can occur since insulin and many other growth factors share a common structure (they are homologous proteins). Given their structural similarity, it is not too surprising to learn that high levels of insulin can begin to act successfully at the receptors for these other growth factors, including one for skin growth. Have you ever noticed that people with lots of skin tags often have thickened and darkened skin (especially over the knuckles, neck, elbows, and armpits)?
Skin tags (also called acrochordons) are pretty common in the general population. They are especially prevalent in people with a tendency to develop diabetes (noninsulin dependent). One explanation for this observation is that most people with a diabetic tendency are insulin resistant (they don’t respond to normal levels of insulin). As a consequence, they make more insulin than normal to overcome this resistance. The resulting high levels of insulin stimulate the growth of these skin tags.
How do high levels of insulin stimulate skin tag growth? Possibly by imitating the action of other growth factors. This can occur since insulin and many other growth factors share a common structure (they are homologous proteins). Given their structural similarity, it is not too surprising to learn that high levels of insulin can begin to act successfully at the receptors for these other growth factors, including one for skin growth. Have you ever noticed that people with lots of skin tags often have thickened and darkened skin (especially over the knuckles, neck, elbows, and armpits)?