What Are New Colorless Moles on Your Face: Fast Growing Cancer?
Those clusters of colorless moles on your face can also occur elsewhere on your body and have people worried that they’re a fast spreading cancer.
They can definitely appear to be colorless moles – the color closely matching the hue of the patient’s surrounding normal skin. (more…)
Should All New Moles or Growths in Middle Aged Be Removed ?
Middle age is that time where you may be discovering odd new growths on your skin and even what appear to be new moles.
Melanoma can take on the appearance of a new mole, and a new mole in middle age is more likely to eventually become melanoma when compared to a new mole in early childhood.
New Moles or Growths in Middle Age
“A new growth could be a mole, but could also be a host of other things,” says Dr. Janet Prystowsky, MD, a board certified dermatologist in New York, NY, with 30+ years’ experience.
“Not everything needs to be removed if you notice it for the first time,” she continues.
“Sometimes you may have a mole that you think is new but is actually rather old.
“However, it’s always best to contact your dermatologist if you notice any changes in your skin.
“On a case by case basis, your dermatologist may decide whether your new growth is something to be concerned about. If so, a biopsy will determine whether some form of surgery is necessary.”
Punch biopsy tools; different sizes for different size growths. Shutterstock/Peter Sobolev
A common new “growth” in middle age is a seborrheic keratosis (above).
These can scare people into thinking they’re melanoma, especially if they grow on the face.
There’s something about the face that tends to make people more nervous than if a new growth is on a leg or arm.
A seborrheic keratosis is a benign barnacle that can be mistaken for a mole or melanoma.
A dermatologist can often make an exact determination after viewing it through a dermatoscope, though there are times when a biopsy is required for a definite diagnosis.
Seborrheic keratoses do not need to be removed unless they are creating a cosmetic issue.
They will never turn into melanoma, though a melanoma can grow inside them by coincidence.
If you’re middle aged and have not yet gotten familiar with the various “growths,” spots or moles on your body and face, it’s time to take inventory so that you know what’s normally there and what is not. People past 40 also often begin getting angiomas on their skin.
In combination with her focus on early skin cancer detection and removal, Dr. Prystowsky provides a wide range of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov
Can Normal Mole Hurt if Irritated? Or Does Hurting Mean Cancer?
You irritated a mole, perhaps with clothing or scratching over it without realizing it, and it now hurts; does this mean cancer even though it looks normal?
Common moles can get irritated in everyday life. Depending on their location, they can get irritated by being rubbed against by clothing.
For example a bra strap can irritate the same mole on a daily basis.
The result can be an obvious hurting or soreness coming from the mole.
Some people are worried that the degree of this is either predictive of future cancer or melanoma, or that it means that the cancer is already present (though not visible to the naked eye).
Can a perfectly normal mole still hurt if it gets irritated?
“Even a normal mole can hurt if it is irritated,” says Dr. Janet Prystowsky, MD, who’s a board certified dermatologist in New York, NY, with 30+ years’ experience.
“Any skin that is irritated can hurt. However, a mole that appears more irritated than your other moles might be a sign of concern,” especially if there’s no recent history of that mole getting rubbed against by clothing or being scratched over.
Dr. Prystowsky adds, “Also, a chronically traumatized mole increases its risk of becoming a skin cancer.
“Contact your dermatologist if you are concerned. A biopsy will tell you whether your mole is benign or a skin cancer [melanoma].”
In combination with her focus on early skin cancer detection and removal, Dr. Prystowsky provides a wide range of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Shutterstock/Africa Studio
Burning, Tight Upper Lip: Causes and Solutions
The cause of a burning sensation and tightness in your upper lip is really quite simple, and as a result, the solution to this is really quite easy, says a dermatologist.
A common complaint is that of a tight and burning upper lip, and sometimes the lower lips as well. What is the cause of this?
“A tight, burning upper lip could be due to a simple case of chapped lips,” says Dr. Janet Prystowsky, who’s a board certified dermatologist in New York, NY, with 30+ years’ experience.
“If there are no other symptoms like blisters or pustules, and only dry, flaky, red skin, then you can treat your lips with Vaseline or Aquaphor,” says Dr. Prystowsky.
“Use a thin layer to cover any irritated skin. Do not lick your lips. This will only make them worse.
“If you can grow a beard, this may help as well. Wearing a scarf or protective clothing over your face while outside will also help.”
A burning, tight sensation in your upper or lower lip is not a symptom of cancer.
But if you do see any newly appearing bumps, nodules, a dark spot or other growth, make an appointment with a dermatologist.
In combination with her focus on early skin cancer detection and removal, Dr. Prystowsky provides a wide range of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Brown Vertical Stripe in Child’s Fingernail plus Cuticle
A brown vertical stripe on a child’s fingernail that has never been there before is a worrisome sign that should immediately be checked out by a dermatologist, especially if the brown is in the cuticle portion. (more…)
Best Solutions for Dry, Cracked Winter Knuckles that Bleed
A dermatologist explains the best way to solve the problem of cracked, dry, unsightly bleeding knuckles from winter exposure and any other time of year.
Not only are cracked, bleeding knuckles unsightly, but they’re uncomfortable. And preventable! (more…)
How to Stop Feeling Old Because You Retired Early !
There’s a cure for feeling old that sometimes strikes people who have taken early retirement.
The irony is that working is associated with disease! (more…)
Car Pool Etiquette for Work: Don’t Honk and Wake People Up!
Why does the driver in a car pool think nothing of honking the horn as early as 6 am for their passenger, waking up neighbors?
No. 1 rule of car pool etiquette: Don’t toot the horn! (more…)
Why Aren’t There Routine MRI Screenings for Brain Aneurysms?
An MRI can easily detect a brain aneurysm (aka “time bomb”), so why isn’t the MRI a standard screening tool for this often fatal condition?
How often have you heard of a famous person, celebrity or media personality who died from a ruptured brain aneurysm?
It’s rare, but when it happens, it’s shocking. It also makes you think, Gee, had they known they had an aneurysm in the brain, it could have been treated.
“Magnetic resonance angiography (a type of MRI) can be used to search for un-ruptured brain aneurysms,” says Resham Mendi, MD, a renowned expert in the field of medical imaging, and the medical director of Bright Light Medical Imaging.
“Some studies have shown that one to six percent of the population have an aneurysm,” continues Dr. Mendi.
“Depending on the size, some are at higher risk of rupture than others.”
Notable People Who Died from Ruptured Cerebral Aneurysm
Brain aneurysm rupture. Shutterstock/OpenStax College
• Guy Williams (John Robinson on “Lost in Space”)
• Laura Branigan (made “Gloria” a hit song in the early ‘80s)
• Lisa Colagrossi (TV news anchor/reporter)
There’ve been many more over the years. It’s not that famous people are more important than “regular” people, but let’s face it:
When a media personality dies from a ruptured brain aneurysm that nobody knew existed prior, it’s quite a shocker.
Aneurysms can be managed with clipping, coiling or serial observation. Otherwise, the risk is that over time they grow so big that they burst, causing massive bleeding in the brain known as a hemorrhagic stroke.
- One-third of victims will die.
- One-third will be left with brain damage.
- Only one-third will recover well.
When people go to emergency rooms with symptoms suspicious for a leaking or ruptured aneurysm, they are given a CT scan (radiation), because this is far faster than an MRI (no radiation).
But imagine the lives, over the years, that would have been saved had MRI screenings for cerebral aneurysms been routine for apparently healthy people.
Alarming Facts
“Most cerebral aneurysms go unnoticed until they rupture or are detected by brain imaging that may have been obtained for another condition.”
This statement comes from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
There’s no routine screening protocol for brain aneurysms and it’s unlikely that this will be a reality soon.
“At the current time, the guidelines for screening indicate that patients who are at high risk for aneurysm should be screened,” says Dr. Mendi. But not the general population.
Why? The NHS online states that it’s “because researchers have calculated routine screening would do little to prevent deaths,” but would place enormous drain on NHS resources.
The NHS is a United Kingdom entity, but the reasoning behind that statement — the enormous drain on resources — is the same reason why there’s no routine screening for brain aneurysms in the United States.
People who have significant risk are urged to get regular screenings.
“This includes patients who have smoked cigarettes, with family history of aneurysm in close relatives, high blood pressure, history of cocaine or amphetamine use, or history of rare diseases such as polycystic kidney disease, Ehler’s Danlos syndrome and Marfan syndrome,” says Dr. Mendi.
Other Possible Reasons There’s No Routine Screening for Brain Aneurysm
• Distress at learning one has a cerebral aneurysm that’s not suitable for surgical treatment.
Risk of rupture is actually small, but such patients may then live the rest of their lives thinking they’re a “walking time bomb.” They will regret the screening.
• MRIs are very expensive.
• CT scans, though a lot cheaper, emit radiation.
• Not enough people in the population have asymptomatic cerebral aneurysms to justify routine screening.
• Risks of surgical treatment (which include triggering a rupture) outweigh the risk of an asymptomatic aneurysm ever rupturing.
Medical technology isn’t advanced enough to surgically treat (coiling or clipping) every single aneurysm that shows on an MRI. Some are deemed unsuitable for this.
As long as the rate of rupture is actually quite low in non-symptomatic people, and the rate of surgical complication is relatively high, there will not be any routine screenings for brain aneurysms – even if MRI were dirt cheap.
Dr. Mendi has published several articles in radiology journals and has expertise in MRI, women’s imaging, musculoskeletal, neurological and body imaging.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
Top image: Freepik/wayhomestudio
Sources:
ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Cerebral-Aneurysms-Fact-Sheet#3098_7
nhs.uk/Conditions/Aneurysm/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx
uptodate.com/contents/screening-for-intracranial-aneurysm
Can Getting Hit in Head Rupture a PRE-EXISTING Aneurysm?
