We treat and remove a wide variety of skin growths and lesions that although not serious, are often of cosmetic concern to our patients. Various methods can be used to remove these lesions depending on the diagnosis, location, and doctor/patient preference.
 LENTIGOS are very common benign, brown, or tan coloured spots that occur mainly in sun exposed areas as we age. With time they become larger, darker and often will develop a scaly rough surface. These lesions are easily treated with either cryogen or lasers, which generally leave an excellent cosmetic result.
 SEBORRHEIC KERATOSES are common benign, warty growths that are either grey, brown, or tan in colour and have a "stuck on" appearance. They often get larger and stick out more with time. They are not related to sun exposure and can occur anywhere on the body. Some people develop dozens of these lesions as they age. We treat these lesions very successfully with the laser, cryogen, or shave excision with some electrocautery. The larger and thicker these lesions become, the more difficult they are to remove. Therefore early treatment is recommended.
 SKIN TAGS (PAPILLOMAS) are soft brown growths often with a narrow stalk that
usually occur on the eyelids, neck, underarms, under the breasts and in the groins. They often become longer and/or larger with time. Some people will develop multiple tags and there is often a family history of these lesions. We remove these by injecting small amounts of local anesthetic to keep you comfortable, then snipping them off followed by electrocautery which helps create a scab to allow for faster healing. They generally heal leaving an excellent result. Many can be removed in a single session.
 CHERRY HEMANGIOMAS are dome-shaped small bright red spots that can occur
anywhere on the skin surface. They may be single or multiple, and are common with aging. In some instances patients can develop hundreds of these lesions. There is sometimes a family
history of similar spots. They become larger and darker red in colour with time. If
treated early, when they are small and bright red, they can be removed completely with laser treatment without scars. The cosmetic results tend to be excellent. Multiple spots can be treated in a session.
 SPIDER TELANGIECTASIAS are common small benign vascular lesions. They often occur on the cheeks, nose, and face, but can occur anywhere. They tend to disappear when pressure is applied to the central slightly raised round area with thin red lines radiating from it (like a spider!). Vascular laser treatment achieves excellent results usually in 1 or 2 treatments.
MOLES are common growths that often start off as flat, pigmented spots. With time and aging they generally become elevated and dome shaped, eventually becoming fleshy and less pigmented. Non-cancerous moles tend to be of even colour and regular outline, whereas cancerous moles (melanoma) tend to display irregular colour and irregular outline. Correct diagnosis is essential prior to treatment. Most moles are only of cosmetic importance, and can be removed by a shave
excision and cautery, laser, or by excision and suturing. The preferred method depends on various factors including, the size, location and colour of the mole. Removal of moles will leave a scar, but this is generally not very noticeable, depending on its location. Before removing a mole, we attempt, as much as is possible, to explain what kind of cosmetic result you should expect.
SEBACEOUS CYSTS have a closed sac or cyst below the surface of the skin that has a lining that resembles the uppermost part of a hair follicle and fills with a fatty white, semi-solid material called sebum. Sebum is the oil produced by sebaceous glands of skin to protect our skin from drying out. The scalp, ears, back, face, and upper arm, are common sites for sebaceous cysts, though they may occur anywhere on the body except the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. They are smooth to the touch, vary in size, and are generally round in shape. A cyst can usually be excised in its entirety. Poor surgical technique or previous infection leading to scarring and tethering of the cyst to the surrounding tissue, may lead to rupture during excision and removal. A completely removed cyst will not recur, though if the patient has a predisposition to cyst formation, further cysts may develop in the same general area.
WARTS often appear on the fingers or toes. It is generally a small growth, typically on hands or feet, that can resemble a cauliflower. Warts are common, and are caused by a viral infection, specifically by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and are contagious by contact with the skin of an infected person. They are more frequent in children, and usually disappear a few months or years later when the immune system is triggered. Often the treatment itself triggers the immune system to fight off the virus, so the body should actually be credited for most of the healing. They can be treated with cryogen, acids, or excised and treated with electrocautery.
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