Don’t Ignore Growths on Skin, Especially Painless Ones!

As dermatologists, we commonly encounter patients with complaints of growths on skin, which can be of variable colour or pattern, in different parts of the body, with or without pain, with or without blood or pus discharge.

While it is fairly common for patients to seek attention when a growth is painful, bleeding or discharging pus, it is the painless growths which get ignored and overlooked.

Examples of Problematic Growths on Skin

Here are a few examples of painless growths which must never be ignored:

• A mole that has been growing in size and changing colour, may be painless but still be cancerous
• Some benign and painless tumours of skin may develop infections or malignant changes if left untreated
• Warts or brownish growths of various shapes and sizes caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), are painless in most cases but very contagious
• Pearly white painless growths caused by Molluscum Contagiosum virus, most commonly in children spread easily amongst them
• Some painless growths on skin can be an alert to cancerous developments and do help in avoiding more dangerous lesions if diagnosed and treated in time

Bottom line, if you have any new growths on your skin, anywhere on the body or you feel that pre-existing moles or birthmarks are changing, please do not follow ‘wait and watch’ but visit a specialist for professional opinion in this regard.

It is definitely better to be sure than feel sorry later!!