Moles and Other Benign Lumps & Bumps

While just about everyone has moles, patients visit our Houston dermatology practice to ask us about a variety of other skin growths as well. Although we certainly recommend an annual full-body skin exam and having any suspicious lesion checked by one of our board-certified dermatologists or our other qualified practitioners, a little information about common benign skin growths may set your mind at ease. If you have cosmetic concerns about a benign growth, we can usually remove it surgically.

Types of Benign Skin Growths

Common types of harmless skin growths include:

• Keratoses: The most common benign growths that concern our patients are seborrheic keratoses, which look like raised bumps with a rough, warty surface.
• Moles: Also known by the medical term “nevi,” moles are collections of melanocytes (pigment cells). They range in color from flesh-colored to black. To rule out melanoma or other skin cancer, we recommend you visit us for regular skin checks.
• Enlarged Oil Glands: A common benign skin lesion on the face is a “sebaceous hyperplasia,” commonly called an enlarged oil gland. As we age these small, yellowish, smooth surfaced bumps develop on the cheeks and forehead.
• Cysts and Lipomas: Sebaceous cysts are usually painless and result from a buildup of oil and skin cells inside a sac-like structure. Lipomas are benign fatty tumors that grow just below the skin.

Our medical and cosmetic dermatological services are all provided by a staff of board-certified dermatologists and other highly trained medical professionals.

 To find out more about your cosmetic options for mole and other skin lesion removal at our Houston practice, schedule an appointment to meet with one of our board-certified dermatologists or other experienced practitioners by calling our office at 713-850-0240.