2008 Woodie Awards
Tuesdays With Martha
Issue date: 4/11/06 Section: Columns
- Page 1 of 1
Dear Martha,
I have a new thing under my arm. It is a brown, soft bump that sticks out. It is only 1/8 of an inch wide, but it sticks out and I don't like it. What is it? The thing that worries me is that my grandfather has a ton of these. Am I going to get more? Can I get rid of them?
Signed,
Got One,
That's More Than Enough
Dear One's Plenty,
I don't know anyone who likes things growing on their bodies, but on the scale of things, this is an okay one to get. What you have is most likely a skin tag. The good news is that this not anything to worry about, it is just a cosmetic nuisance.
Skin tags on light skin are usually skin colored to medium brown and on darker skin they can appear almost black. The usually start small and can stay that way or grow to a maximum of 1 centimeter. They often look like they are on a stalk.
The cause of acrochordon (their fancy name) is unknown and they can occur on anyone, but two things increase a person's likelihood of having these, one is family history and the other is increased weight. As for whether you will grow more, it is possible, but they start small, grow slowly and can be removed.
Don't despair about the one you have. If you don't like it, it can be taken off easily, sometimes with the snip of sharp scissors. Because they usually appear on the neck, under and around arms and breasts or in the genital area, people often have them removed because they rub on things and get irritated.
It is never a bad idea to have this looked at. Some things are not what they seem.
Later,
Martha
I have a new thing under my arm. It is a brown, soft bump that sticks out. It is only 1/8 of an inch wide, but it sticks out and I don't like it. What is it? The thing that worries me is that my grandfather has a ton of these. Am I going to get more? Can I get rid of them?
Signed,
Got One,
That's More Than Enough
Dear One's Plenty,
I don't know anyone who likes things growing on their bodies, but on the scale of things, this is an okay one to get. What you have is most likely a skin tag. The good news is that this not anything to worry about, it is just a cosmetic nuisance.
Skin tags on light skin are usually skin colored to medium brown and on darker skin they can appear almost black. The usually start small and can stay that way or grow to a maximum of 1 centimeter. They often look like they are on a stalk.
The cause of acrochordon (their fancy name) is unknown and they can occur on anyone, but two things increase a person's likelihood of having these, one is family history and the other is increased weight. As for whether you will grow more, it is possible, but they start small, grow slowly and can be removed.
Don't despair about the one you have. If you don't like it, it can be taken off easily, sometimes with the snip of sharp scissors. Because they usually appear on the neck, under and around arms and breasts or in the genital area, people often have them removed because they rub on things and get irritated.
It is never a bad idea to have this looked at. Some things are not what they seem.
Later,
Martha