When are Skin Tags and Cysts Cause for Concern?

If you’ve spotted a new bump under your skin or a small growth on your neck that seemingly sprouted overnight, it can feel alarming. Thankfully, bumps under your skin are typically harmless cysts, and small new growths are usually innocuous skin tags.

However, in some cases, skin developments that resemble cysts and skin tags can actually be signs of skin cancer. 

Skin cancer is incredibly common but can pose a serious threat to your health if left untreated. That’s why our team at Thomas Dermatology wants to review some key things that indicate your skin tag or cyst needs to be examined by expert dermatologists.

Understanding skin tags and cysts

Skin tags are small, noncancerous growths that can develop when your skin rubs against itself. Sometimes, a skin tag can be the same color as your skin and look like a cluster of skin cells attached to a stem. Other times, it can be dark and resemble a mole. 

You’re more likely to develop skin tags if they run in your family or if you have a condition such as diabetes or obesity. Skin tags aren’t dangerous at all; however, they can be unsightly if they grow on your face or neck. 

Skin cysts are also noncancerous growths. They’re closed pockets of tissue filled with fluid that develop right underneath the skin. These cysts are typically about the size of a pea and roll around when you apply pressure to them. You can get a cyst from an infection or from damage to your sebaceous glands. 

While it’s rare, skin cysts can go away on their own. In most cases, cysts need to be lanced in order to drain the fluid inside.

How to tell if skin tags and cysts are cancerous

Since skin tags can sometimes resemble other growths, it’s possible that you can have a cancerous growth rather than a benign one. Signs that you might be dealing with cancer rather than a simple skin tag include itching and bleeding around the growth along with changes in the growth’s size and shape.

Benign skin cysts and cancerous tumors appear incredibly similar, which is why it’s easy to mistake one for the other.  They can both form anywhere on your body and are made up of similar tissues. One of the best ways to differentiate a cyst from a tumor is to have it examined under an ultrasound. Cysts are symmetrical, and tumors are not. Otherwise, a biopsy of the growth can determine if abnormal cells are present. 

For expert skin cancer diagnosis and treatment, look no further than our dermatology team at Thomas Dermatology. We proudly serve the Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, and Lake Havasu City, Kingmas, and Bullhead City, Arizona, areas. Book an appointment with us over the phone or online.