Skin Tags

This little flap of skin forms because of friction. It’s been rubbed by a collar, clothing, or sometimes it comes from skin rubbing against skin, particularly under the arm. It starts as a small bump or gland in the skin. Then, once it starts rubbing, there’s a snowball effect. The little ball of skin cells gets pulled up further and further until it’s hanging by a thread. You end up with a ball of skin attached by a thin pedestal.

Skin Tag vs. Wart

Distinguishing a skin tag vs wart is rather simple. A colorless raised flap of skin that looks like a little balloon on a stick is a skin tag. A rough, broad-based patch of thick skin is likely a wart. Neither of these spots have hair growing from them. Like skin tags, warts are typically colorless, unless the skin where it’s formed has a color distinction. Warts are thick and deep, while skin tags remain at the surface. Most importantly, a wart is caused by a virus and is contagious. It can spread to other people, or to other parts of your body. Skin tags are not contagious to you or anyone else.

Warts

Warts pop up on your hands, knees, or the bottom of your feet. Unlike moles, they’re hard bumps that lie deep in the skin. Although they may be smooth on top, they’re thick, scaly, and callus-like underneath.

What Causes Warts?

Warts start from a virus. And like all viruses, they’re contagious. So, when you see a wart pop up, that means you came into contact with someone else with a wart virus, whether through shaking hands or using the same hand towel.

Should You Have A Wart Removed?

Although we recommend removing any of these spots, warts especially need to be removed quickly (before you pass the virus along to someone else).

Mole vs. Wart

Identifying a mole vs wart is also relatively easy. The main distinction is color. While warts are colorless, moles are brown. These dark spots grow slowly and don’t change much, but they can grow hair. Moles typically appear in sun-exposed areas such as the arms, face, back, and chest and are not contagious.

Both warts and moles have a broad base and go deep into the skin, but on a mole, the skin remains soft. Warts, however, appear as rough skin, possibly with points on the surface. They often appear on the hands, feet, elbows, and knees — where the skin is thicker and grows more slowly.

Moles

Moles are the most typical of these three skin issues. They form slowly, taking a long time to grow. To see a visual difference between wart and mole bumps, look for pigment and hair. Warts don’t have either, but moles have both.

Will Skin Tags, Moles, and Warts Go Away on Their Own?

No, these spots do not go away on their own. So, whether you have a mole, wart, or skin tag, a cosmetic surgeon can give you the most accurate identification and help you decide if the growth should be removed.

If you have a problematic spot on your skin, contact us to schedule a consultation and discuss your wart or mole removal options.