Common Skin Growths (2024)

It’s common to develop growths on your skin as you get older. Skin growths can either be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). While the majority of skin growths are harmless and noncancerous, such as skin tags, some may be a sign of something more serious, such as melanoma.

This article provides pictures of common skin growths, both malignant and benign. It discusses what to look for and how they're treated.

Pictures of Benign Skin Growths

Benign skin growths are common, and most of them do not require any type of medical treatment.An important intervention when it comes to benign skin growths is to know the common signs and symptoms of those that may be cancerous and to seek medical care when skin growths look suspicious.

Freckles

Freckles, known medically as ephelides, are small, flat spots of extra pigment (melanin) under your skin. Freckles are most prominent on the face and arms—two areas of the body that see a lot of sun. Freckles vary in color, ranging from beige to red to dark brown, and may be sparse or plentiful, sometimes overlapping one another or dotting vast areas of skin.

Freckles are not considered precancerous, but they are an indication that your skin is more sensitive to the sun. If your skin is prone to freckling, spending time in the sun can cause more freckles to appear. In some cases, freckles will fade away in the winter and return in the summer. In others, freckles will stay put year-round.

Freckles do not need to be treated, unless for cosmetic reasons. One or two laser therapy sessions are typically enough to fade them away.

Keloids

A keloid is a thick, raised scar caused by excessive collagen that accumulates at the site of a skin injury. After your skin is wounded, collagen plays a critical role in healing, building up at the site of the damaged tissue and supporting fibroblasts (cells that help regenerate tissue).

Keloids are different from hypertrophic scars (which resemble them) in that they grow beyond the edges of the trauma. They can grow to be large and disfiguring and restrict movement. They often occur on the face, neck, and upper chest.

Keloids may be:

• Red, pink, or slightly darker than your natural skin tone
• Darker after you spend time in the sun
• Painful, itchy, or burning
• Hard and rubbery, or soft and doughy in texture
  

The cause is unknown. They occur more frequently in people with brown or black skin.

To shrink the keloid, a healthcare provider can administer a corticosteroid injection. Between 50% to 80% of keloids shrink after being injected, although many regrow within five years.

Complete excision (cutting away the lesion) is the best treatment. Pressure dressings may help prevent recurrence. Corticosteroid injections may be used with excision. Radiation therapy may be used on recurrent large keloids.

Moles

A mole is a hyperpigmented or skin-colored raised papule or small plaque, derived from melanocytes (cells that produce melanin). Sometimes a mole can be bluish-black colored, called a blue nevus, which is often mistaken for melanoma.

Some people are born with moles that stay with them throughout their lives. But you can also acquire new moles as you age through life. Your moles may also darken in the sun.

Although most moles are round, they can appear in a range of shapes and sizes. With that being said, lookout for moles that change in size, shape, or color; moles with irregular borders can be a sign of skin cancer.

Most moles don't need to be removed, unless they are bothersome (e.g., they rub against your clothes), they are suspicious (could be cancer), or you simply don't like how they look. A dermatologist may excise (cut) the mole from the skin and stitch the area, if necessary. Or, they may use a special type of razor to shave the mole away.

Skin Tags

Skin tags (acrochordon) are flesh-colored or brown, soft papules usually found in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin. They may become irritated or cause pain as a result of cutting off the blood supply.

Skin tags themselves don't need to be treated unless they are bothersome or you don't like their appearance. Treatment may involve a minor excision procedure, cryosurgery, or burning them off with electrical energy (electrodesiccation).

Seborrheic Keratoses

Seborrheic keratoses appear as scaly, brown, and sometimes greasy plaques that can vary in size and thickness. They are often confused for warts, skin cancer, or a type of precancerous skin growth called actinic keratosis.

Seborrheic keratoses mostly appear in people who are middle-aged or older. While it's possible to develop just one of these growths, they typically crop up in multiples.

Treatment may be needed if the plaques are itchy, irritated, or inflamed.Treatment may include cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen) or curettage (the use of a specific tool to scrape or scoop tissue).A biopsy could be ordered if the diagnostician deems the area suspicious.

Lipomas

Lipomas are soft, slow-growing fat tumors that can grow to 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) or larger. They do not usually cause any symptoms, but if they compress a nerve, they can be painful.

Note that when an infant has a lipoma over the sacrum area (at the base of the spine), it can be a sign of a spinal abnormality that would warrant further evaluation.

If a lipoma is painful or growing larger, your healthcare provider can have it removed using surgical excision or liposuction.

Cherry Angioma

Cherry angiomas are small, pinhead-like growths made of blood vessels that appear anywhere on the body (but are more common on the trunk and extremities).They may have a red or blue/black color.

These small growths are smooth and may stick out from the skin. They are most common after the age of 30 years.

Treatment is not necessary, unless for cosmetic or practical reasons. If you would like to have a cherry angioma removed, a dermatologist can remove it with electrodesiccation, cryotherapy, laser, or shave excision.

Dermatofibroma

Dermatofibromas are firm papules or plaques, dusky red to brown, found most often on the arms and legs. They can appear alone or in multiples. Dermatofibromas do not usually cause any symptoms, but they can be itchy or cause irritation.

Treatment may involve corticosteroids to relieve itchiness, or they may be removed using shave excision or cryotherapy.

Pyogenic Granuloma

Pyogenic granulomas are solitary, small nodules or papules that often appear on the face, lips, and fingers.They are smooth and may be moist. Pyogenic granulomas can bleed easily due to the high amount of blood vessels at the site of the growth.

These benign skin growths may develop quickly. They are most common in children and people who are pregnant. Treatment may involve laser ablation, curettage, or excision, but often this type of skin growth reoccurs.

Sebaceous Hyperplasia

Sebaceous hyperplasia is a condition in which the sebaceous glands become enlarged, resulting in small, yellowish, or flesh-colored bumps on the skin. The sebaceous glands produce sebum—your skin's natural, oily lubricant.

Sebaceous hyperplasia is most likely to affect skin areas that are prone to oiliness, such as the forehead, cheeks, and nose, as well as the chest and back.

There are several options for treating sebaceous hyperplasia. Topical ointments and creams containing retinoids or salicylic acid can reduce bumps. A dermatologist may also use cryotherapy, electrosurgery, or laser treatments to destroy them.

Cysts

Cysts (epidermal inclusions) are flesh-colored, firm nodules with a small dome-shaped projection in the middle, called a punctum.The punctum is the opening of a hair follicle (which is where they arise from).

Cysts can get very large and become disfiguring. They can also be multiple. if the cyst becomes infected, it will hurt and be filled with pus. This will require incision and drainage.

A ruptured cyst may involve pain and inflammation and may need to be incised and drained.Other treatments may include corticosteroids (for inflammation) and antibiotics (for infections). Once the inflammation subsides, excision is usually the mode of treatment.

Pictures of Malignant Skin Growths

Malignant skin growths (neoplasms) are very common. They often grow and spread uncontrollably and can invade other tissue and organs.

Malignant skin growths can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

Many malignant skin growths have identifiable precursor conditions. A precursor is an abnormal group of cells that may turn into cancer. A precursor can also be referred to as precancerous.

Some precancerous skin growths have a low risk of becoming cancerous, while others have a very high risk.An abnormal mole is a precursor for a type of skin cancer called melanoma.

Melanoma

Melanoma is a type of malignant skin growth that usually arises from a mole, but can arise from normal skin. These commonly appear on the chest and back (in men) and the legs (in women). A malignant mole usually appears brown or black, but may appear pink, tan, or white. They may have areas with different colors and may spread quickly.

If your dermatologist detects melanoma, you will need surgery to remove all cancerous tissues as well as some of the healthy skin around it. Depending on how advanced the melanoma is, you may also need chemotherapy and/or radiation.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma is a slow-growing type of skin growth that may appear as flat reddish-brown patches on the face, neck, ears, lips, and the back of the hands.

Squamous cell carcinoma is highly treatable when caught early. Treatment usually involves surgery to remove the cancerous skin tissues along with some of the surrounding healthy tissues.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma, which is the most common form of skin cancer, appears as raised translucent, shiny, pink, red, or pearly bumps, and may have blue, black, or brown areas. A common appearance is called a rodent ulcer because it looks like the center were gnawed away by a rodent.

Basal cell carcinoma is often a result of sun exposure or tanning beds. This type of skin cancer can often be seen on the face. The most common sites for men are the top of the ears and the nose, which are areas that get the most sun exposure.

Treatment for basal cell carcinoma usually involves Mohs surgery. If the carcinoma is small enough, electrodessication (burning) or excision may be adequate for removing it.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and dangerous, fast-growing type of skin cancer that is often difficult to treat.Merkel cell carcinoma often starts in sun-exposed areas of the skin, appearing like firm, pink, red, purple lumps or bumps on the skin that may open up as ulcers.

Like other forms of skin cancer, treatment for Merkel cell carcinoma requires surgery to remove the affected tissues, followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Actinic Keratosis

Actinic keratosis, also called solar keratosis, is a rough, scaly patch or bump on the skin. This type of growth is caused by ultraviolet (UV) damage to the skin, either from the sun or tanning beds. Actinic keratosis is precancerous and can turn into squamous cell skin cancer.

Most cases of actinic keratosis can be treated and cured when caught early. Treatment may involve cryotherapy, topical chemotherapy, or laser surgery.

How Are Skin Growths Diagnosed?

As soon as you notice a suspicious skin growth, you should schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider or dermatologist for an evaluation.

Many dermatologists will be able to diagnose the skin growth simply by looking at it with their naked eye. If the provider is unsure or finds the growth suspicious, they will order a biopsy to excise the growth and send it for lab testing.

Early diagnosis and treatment of a malignant skin growth are very important.Complete excision (surgical removal) often results in a cure. In fact, complete excision will cure almost all cases of skin cancer if performed in the early stages.

A probable diagnosis of a cancerous skin growth can be made considering some specific factors, including:

• The patient’s risk factors
• The history of the skin growth and its location
• The appearance of the skin growth
• The texture of the skin growth

A definitive diagnosis can only be made by performing a biopsy and getting the histologic (microscopic analysis of tissue) examination results from the lab.

The ABCDEs of Melanoma

Melanoma is a tumor of cells that form melanin, a malignant growth linked with skin cancer. Often, a melanoma begins as a mole, but it can also arise from normal skin.

When a diagnostician diagnoses and classifies melanomas, they use a specific method of assessing the abnormalities. The method is called the ABCDEs of melanoma.

The characteristics of skin damage that are considered part of the ABCDEs of melanoma include:

• Asymmetry: The definition of asymmetry is when something is not uniformly shaped. Symmetrically round moles are usually noncancerous or benign; those that are asymmetrical are often melanomas.
• Border: Melanoma often involves an irregular-shaped mole with borders that are not well defined; comparatively, a noncancerous mole has smooth, well-defined borders.
• Color: Melanoma lesions often have more than one shade or color; noncancerous moles are usually one solid color.
• Diameter: The size of a normal mole is typically 6 millimeters (mm; 0.24 inches) or less in diameter; a melanoma is usually larger than 6 mm in size.
• Evolution: Melanoma often changes in size, shape, and color; benign moles don’t usually change over time.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

While most skin growths end up being benign, there is always a risk that a growth is malignant or precancerous.

Keep in mind that certain skin growths can start out as benign then progress to malignant. For this reason, you should be checking your skin thoroughly on a routine basis, paying special attention to your moles.

Keep the ABCDEs of melanoma in mind as you check your skin. If you notice one or more of these melanoma characteristics, call your healthcare provider or dermatologist for an appointment right away.

If you currently spend a lot of time in the sun or in tanning beds (or you have in the past), aim to see a dermatologist for a full skin check at least once per year. The same goes for any person with a family history of skin cancer.

Summary

Keep in mind that although most skin growths are benign, knowing the signs and symptoms to look for suspicious growths is important.

Also, some benign growths can be a sign of something more serious (such as a hormonal disorder).If you are unsure, or if a skin growth is symptomatic, changes in appearance, or shows signs of malignancy, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

When it comes to malignant skin growths (skin cancer), early intervention is imperative to successful treatment outcomes.