There are millions of people that will deal with skin disorders as they age. Some of them are naturally occurring, others are not. You’ll find that amidst aging, you may develop mounds on the skin that are known as barnacles. These may seem like skin tags to some, but they are different. The two are closely related in how they may form, or how they may appear, but they are not the same. However, there are other elements that you should consider in regard to barnacles, and more. The following discusses the differences between tags and this skin disorder, so that you can determine your course of action after the fact.
What Exactly Are Barnacles?
The first thing that you should know is that these are common. These are lesions that are not like tags, or even moles. However, they are inflammatory cell elements that come up from the skin. They are known as seborrheic keratoses, and they can itch, or can even scale and cause a slight discharge. They are sometimes compared to the barnacles you may see in the ocean. However, they are not the same, and they may need to be removed if they start to hurt, or cause disruption in life.
What Exactly Are Skin Tags?
On the other hand, skin tags are benign cell growths that are on top of the dermal layer. They appear because of friction associated with the skin cells rubbing against themselves. Wherever you have wrinkles, creases, and folds, the skin may rub against itself. That issue is going to cause the growths to appear. They are not seborrheic, and they are not irritated cells in the same fashion that you will see with barnacles. The irritation is different, benign, and doesn’t have any discharge, bleeding, or anything along those lines.
Getting Rid of Skin Issues
The thing about these things is that you need to look into how they differ, meaning that they are completely different in comparison. Skin tags do not hurt, they are small, and only appear where skin has friction with itself. Barnacles are growths that can appear anywhere on the body, can hurt, and are lesions that will need help getting removed. A dermatologist can help you get these removed, as well as help with prescribing a medication that will help them from coming back or spreading throughout the body.
As for skin tags, you can use a variety of different topical solutions. You can use acne medication, hemorrhoid medication, tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, and many other at home solutions. You do not need to see a doctor for these, unless they start to spread, change color, or start to hurt. Barnacles, however, will not go away with the same medications for tags, so you’ll need to work with a doctor to diagnose, find the root cause, and rid them the right way. Either way, you will need a helping hand, and should not just leave them be. In regard to tags, they are not the same as barnacles, although you may confuse the two, since they grow similarly at first.