What is a Skin Mole and What Are the Main Characteristics of This Skin Growth?

 A skin mole is a round or oval-shaped growth on the skin. The color of a skin mole can vary from pink, red, brown and black.

Some skin moles are raised while others are quite flat. They occur in several different layers of the skin and are medically referred to as nevi. Skin moles can occur anywhere on the body either alone or sometimes even in a group. However they are more commonly found on the trunk of the body, face and arms.

Most skin moles appear during childhood or adolescence although some may appear later in life. The large majority of the individuals have all the skin moles when they are born. However some of these growths may not be visible. The average individual has approximately from 10 to 50 of them on the body.

Most skin moles change with the passage of time. Some may change color or are raised from the skin or both. They have a tendency to develop hair in them. However some remain the same and do not change at all. Further more some may disappear completely.

There are persons that consider a skin mole to be a "beauty mark." Some refer to it as an "angel kiss". However some skin moles can be quite ugly in appearance. In fact, some can become raised and contain hair, which is more in line with the image of the stereotypical "green-skinned Halloween witch".

When individuals have passed teenage years, they most likely have developed all of the skin moles they are going to get. However, new growths may develop and these new growths should be evaluated by a qualified physician. Some people, after passing the age of 70, find their growths to suddenly disappear. This is actually quite common as we age.

In most scenarios a skin mole are completely harmless. But if it is changing, growing, or becoming raised when it had not been previously, you should seek medical attention.

A skin mole occurs because of a buildup of pigment in the skin which is the same type of cell that gives you your complexion and skin color.

From a purely biological standpoint, there is no function to these clusters of pigmented cells. Many people find that they are genetically predisposed to these type of growths, especially larger ones.

Pregnancy, sun exposure, or simple hormonal changes can affect the color, size, shape, and quantity of your skin mole. Sun exposure is also found to increase their quantity.

There is no real way to prevent skin moles since they do seem to be a genetic trait. Reducing sun exposure or protecting yourself from the sun can help, but there is no 100% skin mole prevention method.

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Your Warts - 4 Ways to Improve Your Immune System to Fight Them in a Natural Way

Warts are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus or HPV. This virus is contagious and you can get it from other individuals or contaminated places. Children are more prone to get it. Most probably this occurs because they have a less strong immune system then older individuals do.

The immune system defends our bodies from such intruders as viruses and harmful bacteria. It is therefore very advantageous to learn how to strengthen your immune system and so be more able to fight the human papilloma virus. This will reduce the chances of getting warts.

You can improve your immune system by:

• Eating the right foods - Eat a lot of green vegetables such as broccoli. Eat plenty of food that contains proteins. Refrain from eating junk foods such as hamburgers and hot dogs. Try to minimize your intake of chocolate and coffee or any other beverage or food that contains caffeine. Eliminate refined sugars from you diet. Do not replace sugar by refined sweeteners since the latter may be in reality even more harmful.

• Drink a lot of water -Water is a purifying agent. It is amazing how many people are not getting enough water nowadays. Some headaches may be only a sign that you are not drinking enough water.

• Sleep adequately - The normal adult needs approximately 8 hours of sleep each night. The amount of hours needed depends on age; they usually decrease as one advances in age.

• Eliminate smoking or alcohol from your life. - Both smoking and alcohol deplete your immune system. If you are not a heavy smoker or a heavy drinker you can greatly improve your immune system making you more capable to fight the human papilloma virus and so less prone to develop warts.

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Your Warts and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) - What Are the Characteristics of This Virus

Most of us have probably been forced to deal with warts at one time or another, whether personally or while supporting loved ones.

A wart is a skin tumor and is typically composed of a small lump on the outer layer of the skin. There are many different types of warts and they are usually classified both by their location on the body and by their appearance.

These skin growths are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. The human papilloma virus is contagious and can pass from one person to another. It can also be transmitted by touching an object torched by a contaminated person. The HPV has also a tendency to contaminate other areas in the same body.

It is easily transferred from person to person when the skin has been opened through a scratch, cut, or abrasion. The strains of the human papilloma virus that causes genital warts can easily be transmitted through sexual activity.

Being a carrier of this virus does not always mean that you will develop warts. Many individuals are carriers of this virus but may not develop any growth themselves. They can however transmit this virus to other individual.

Children and young people seem to be most susceptible to this virus, though it can really affect anyone. The virus is most contagious in its very early stages. However, anyone with a history of HPV can spread it. Sometimes years can go by before warts appear as a result of the infection.

HIV or medications that suppress the immune system make people much more susceptible to this virus and so increase the likelihood of developing warts.

If a person is healthy and active, sometimes the immune system can destroy the wart on its own. A healthy diet may also help to strengthen the immune system.

HPV has been associated with warts but in recent years it has been discovered that it can cause certain types of genital cancers and abnormal growth in the eye as well.

The preferred habitats for the human papilloma virus are warm and moist environments. It can easily be found in places where water is used such as bathrooms and swimming pool areas. It can also more easily be found in public places where water is used since such places are frequented by many individuals. These places include public shower floors, public swimming pool floors, gyms and locker rooms. It can also be found in shoes!

If you take the appropriate precautions you will decrease the chances to be contaminated with the human papilloma virus. Refrain to go barefooted in the areas described above a far as you can, especially if it is a public place.

Further more refrain from touching your wart and then touching another part of your body. This may transfer the HPV from that wart to other areas of your body and so contaminating that other part.

Are Your Warts, Moles Or Skin Tags Hurting Your Confidence?

If you are a teenager and suffer from acne problems in a rather severe way, you know how this may lower your self-confidence. The same applies if you have a wart, mole or skin tag in parts of your body that are visible. Here I am talking about those 'horrible warts', moles or skin tags you may have or think that you have on your face.

Unfortunately today's society is quite a materialistic one and it nurtures in us an exaggerated importance on our appearance. A lot of programs and advertisements on television, internet, magazines and other written, audio and visual media make us believe that we have to be good looking to succeed in life. Good values are more and more being shown the back door.

This is however partly true. Industries are trying (and they are succeeding) to build exaggerated needs in all of us, so they can sell us their products. Intelligence, the ability to build mutual beneficial relationship with people, being able to attain the required skills for a successful career is much more important. All these will build your confidence.

However it is also true that your self-confidence will help you to build all these and much more. This is because your self-confidence is also related to your looks. Therefore it is important to take care of how you look.

Nevertheless you have to control yourself and remember that although being good looking is a plus point, you have to take it with a pinch of salt and remember that there are many other things that can help you to build your confidence and succeed in life.

So if you keep looking at the mirror and your eyes always fall on your wart, mole or skin tag, remember that most probably you are exaggerating and your wart, mole or skin tag is not so horrible as you might think.

However if you want to get rid of it, remember that there are many ways you can do so. But remember that although removing your wart, mole or skin tag will increase your self confidence, do not fall into the mistake to believe that being good looking by itself will solve all your problems.

Instead consider it is a plus point on your favor and as another way to build your confidence.

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Can Skin Moles Develop Into a Cancerous Growth

Skin Moles are extremely common. In fact, most adults have fifteen to twenty in a variety of places on their body. Some may have much more. Most of the skin moles appear during the first 20 years of the person's life.

They are classified as a tumor and as such are the most common tumor among humans. The large majority of them is harmless and will not cause any problem except perhaps cosmetic problems.

Some can however be precancerous and can develop into very dangerous types of cancer. Your physician is the only one that can diagnose the danger of a growth. If a skin mole keeps coming back, it may be indicative of a possible melanoma.

Even though that sounds scary, most growths are perfectly harmless. The harmful or dangerous ones are referred to as dysplastic nevi. These are the ones that can eventually become melanoma. These atypical growths are most common in people with a genetic predisposition.

Here are some signs that your skin mole might be dangerous. This is not a complete list. If you suspect something more, you should contact your physician right away.

Cancerous skin moles may possess one, some, or all of the following qualities:

• Larger than an eraser on a pencil
• Inconsistent shape or color
• Spontaneously bleed
• Painful or itchy
• Changes in size and color
• Inflammatory changes that cannot be justified by an external factor.

If you are concerned about a skin mole being cancerous or dangerous, only your physician will be able to put your mind completely at ease. The sooner you contact a physician; the better off you will be if the skin mole is dangerous.

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Get Rid of Face Warts But Beware of That Scar!

Warts on the face are small, rough and raised bumps on the face. They are both quite common and harmless. The only problem usually relates to aesthetic reasons. It is a fact that no one likes to have these 'horrible creatures' on one's face.

The warts on the face have a tendency to group in clusters. Sometimes these clusters may grow up to 100 warts, but usually the clusters are much smaller. They are generally of two types: flat warts or common warts.

Children have the tendency to have more warts on the face than other individuals. This may be in part because their immune system is less strong than that of adults. The immune system helps to fight viruses and bacteria. Facial warts are in fact a viral infection caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. The HPV is contagious and enters from cuts or scratches in the skin.

You can get rid of face warts by various methods. They range from surgical procedures, over the counter treatments and home treatments.

Surgical procedures such as cryosurgery, laser therapy and electosurgery need to be done by a professional physician. They are quite painful and the healing process may take some time. You may also have to go for more than one visit to treat the same wart.

Further more they may leave a scar. This is a very negative aspect. Remember that you are treating the face and any scar left is as ugly as the removed wart, and it is very noticeable!

Because of these and other problems, it is debatable if such wart removal methods are practical to treat children.

Other types of treatments involve over the counter medicine such as creams, and gels.

There are also various home treatments such as using duct tape, garlic, vinegar and other home methods that have been used for many years.

At all times keep it always in mind that here you are treating the face. Some of the over the counter and home wart removal methods may be quite acidic and may leave a scar. Although they may be adequate to treat other type of warts such as foot warts, they may not be adequate to treat the face. A little scar under your foot is seldom visible.

It is a very different story if you have a scar or scars on your face. Be well informed about any method you use and its side effects. If you are in doubt seek a second opinion. Do not leave anything to chance.

Remember that although you can get rid of face warts by various methods, remember also that the large majority of warts on the face will go away by themselves, although this may take several months or a few years.

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How Do You Get Warts?

You can get warts by being infected by the human papilloma virus or HPV. A wart is in reality a non-cancerous growth caused by an infection by this type of virus.

There are many strains of the human papilloma virus and some of these types cause different type of warts. This virus is contagious and it can enter into your body from small cuts or scratches on your skin as well as by other ways.

There are many ways where you can get warts by being contaminated by HPV. In fact you can get them by:

• Direct contact with a wart of another person
• Direct contact with another person who is a carrier of the virus
• Using object that has been touched by another person that has the virus
• Sexual activity
• Frequenting certain places where the HPV dwells

Direct contact with the wart of another person may transfer the virus to your body. This is more frequent in children and adolescents than in adults. While children are playing football or other sports that require physical contact it is quite easy that they pass the virus by unconsciously touching the warts of other individuals.

It is also important to be aware that an individual may have the virus even if no type of growth has developed. This is because the virus not always develops into any type of growth. So an individual may transmit the virus without having developed any growth himself. However the individual that has been contaminated may develop the wart.

You can get warts by touching objects that had been touched by other individuals that carry the virus. This includes such objects as towels and shoes.

Some strains of this virus are responsible for genital warts. This strain may be transmitted during sexual activity.

The HPV can be found in many places and so you can get it from those places as well. Viruses have a tendency to remain dormant but alive for several months or even years when they are outside the body. They may start to multiply and increase their activity when they are in a body.

The human papilloma virus can be found in moist and warm places. It may lie on the floors of swimming pools, bathrooms, showers, gyms and locker rooms. So walking bare footed in these places increases the chances that you can get the virus through a small cut or scratch in you feet or other parts of your body.

If you are contaminated with the virus you can contaminate other areas of you body as well. This occurs by scratching your wart and touching other areas of your body. Children are particular known to have this type of habits.