Most skin growths are harmless, but they are not all the same. At IN Eternity Clinic on Orchard Road, Dr Sin Yong examines each one, with a dermatoscope where needed, before choosing how to remove it.
WhatsApp to Enquire →Key facts ↓Common skin growths include moles, skin tags, warts, milia, syringomas, seborrhoeic keratoses, cherry angiomas and xanthelasma. Most are benign, but they differ in depth and cause, so each is removed differently: shave, excision or CO2 laser for moles, snipping for tags, laser or freezing for warts, and laser or cautery for many others. Any changing lesion is checked first.
| Growth | Typical look | Usual removal |
|---|---|---|
| Mole | Brown to black, flat or raised, often present for years | Shave, excision or CO2 laser after a dermatoscope check |
| Skin tag | Soft flap on a stalk; neck, underarms, eyelids | Snip or cautery at the stalk |
| Wart | Rough surface, sometimes tiny black dots; caused by a virus | Laser, radiofrequency, freezing or topical; often several sessions |
| Seborrhoeic keratosis | Waxy, “stuck-on”, tan to dark brown | Superficial laser, cautery or freezing |
| Cherry angioma | Small bright-red to purple dome | Vascular laser or fine cautery |
Then read the removal page for your growth: mole removal, skin tag removal, wart removal and cherry angioma removal. The combined skin tag, wart and milia removal page covers visits where several types are treated together.
| Growth | Typical look | Usual removal |
|---|---|---|
| Milia | Tiny pearly-white cysts with no opening | Released through a fine opening, or radiofrequency or laser |
| Syringoma | Firm, skin-coloured, flat-topped; lower lids | Pinhole or fractional CO2 laser over sessions |
| Xanthelasma | Soft yellow plaques near the inner corners of the lids | CO2 laser, after a blood lipid check |
| Sebaceous hyperplasia | Small yellowish bump with a central dip; forehead, cheeks | Treatment aimed at the enlarged gland |
Removal pages: milia removal, syringoma removal and xanthelasma removal. These growths cluster around the eyes, so the eye-area hub lists them too.
“If a growth might need a laboratory answer, I do not burn it away. Destroying the tissue destroys the evidence.”
An epidermoid (“sebaceous”) cyst is a sac whose lining keeps producing keratin. Squeezing empties it but leaves the lining, so it refills; removing the intact sac is what resolves it, and an inflamed cyst is settled first. A lipoma is a soft, mobile lump of fat cells beneath the skin. Small lipomas that cause no symptoms are often left alone, and saying so is a legitimate result of an assessment.
A lump that is hard, fixed, growing quickly or painful is not assumed to be either. It is examined and, where needed, referred for imaging or specialist review before any cosmetic discussion.
Most moles are benign. The ABCDE signs — asymmetry, an irregular border, uneven colour, a diameter over about 6 mm and evolution over time — are reasons to have a mole examined before anything else happens. A dermatoscope magnifies the pigment pattern beneath the surface and improves detection accuracy compared with the naked eye.
If a mole looks suspicious, it is referred for specialist assessment and, where needed, excision with laboratory examination, rather than removed for appearance. Laser destroys the tissue, so it is used only for moles judged benign. The mole removal guide and what affects mole removal cost explain the choices.
Each common growth also has a plain-language guide: skin tags, warts and milia. The conditions index lists every skin condition covered on this site, and surgical and trauma scars explains how removal marks heal.
You cannot always tell by looking. Many benign growths have typical features, but some pigmented or red lesions can mimic more serious ones. A growth that is new in adulthood, changing, bleeding, itching or unlike your other spots should be examined. Dr Sin Yong uses a dermatoscope and refers anything uncertain for specialist assessment before removal.
Skin tags removed at the stalk rarely return at the same spot, though new ones can form elsewhere. Warts can recur because the virus may persist in nearby skin. Moles removed by shave or laser can partly regrow if cells remain deeper, while excision clears more reliably. Syringomas and xanthelasma can also return over time. Your own risk is discussed before treatment.
Every method leaves a mark of some kind, usually small. Superficial growths often heal to a faint pink spot that fades over weeks. Deeper removals and excisions leave a small scar, and darker skin can develop temporary brown marks. Size, site, skin type and method are discussed so that you can weigh the trade-off before deciding.
Often, yes. Skin tags, seborrhoeic keratoses and cherry angiomas are commonly treated together in one session once each has been examined. Larger numbers, growths close to the eyes, or anything needing excision may be spread over more than one visit to limit healing time and keep the treated area manageable.
It is not advised. Home freezing kits, threads and acids can damage the skin around the growth, leave scars or pigment marks, and may be used on something that is not what you think it is. Growths on the eyelids, face or genitals need particular care. A short examination first avoids treating the wrong thing.
Cost depends on the type of growth, how many there are, their size and location, the method used and whether a sample needs laboratory examination. A written quote is given after Dr Sin Yong has examined the lesions. Anything that needs medical rather than cosmetic care is explained, with referral where appropriate.
IN Eternity Clinic, 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, Singapore 228210. By appointment with Medical Director Dr Sin Yong. Monday to Saturday, 11am to 8pm. WhatsApp or call +65 8815 3008.
These sources describe mechanisms and general evidence. They are not a promise of any individual result; suitability is decided at an in-person assessment.