Can You Get a Skin Growth Removed in Conway, SC?

Can you get a skin growth removed in Conway, SC? Yes. Urgent Care & Family Medicine offers minor skin excisions at our clinic on Singleton Ridge Road. Our providers can evaluate moles, cysts, skin tags, lipomas, and other small growths, and remove many of them in the office using local numbing medicine. When appropriate, the removed tissue can be sent to a lab for testing. Call to schedule an evaluation so we can look at the spot and talk through your options.

What Is a Skin Excision?

A skin excision is a minor procedure to remove a growth or area of skin. The provider numbs the area, removes the growth along with a small margin of surrounding skin when needed, and closes the wound with stitches or lets it heal on its own, depending on the size and location. Most excisions done in an office setting take less than an hour from start to finish, and you go home the same day.

There are a few related techniques your provider might use:

• Full excision: removing the entire growth with a scalpel and closing with stitches
• Shave removal: shaving off a raised growth at the skin’s surface
• Punch biopsy: using a small round tool to remove a sample or a small growth
• Snip removal: commonly used for small skin tags

What Kinds of Skin Growths Can Be Removed?

Common growths evaluated and removed in a primary care or urgent care office include:

• Moles: especially ones that are changing, irritated, or in an area where they rub on clothing
• Epidermoid cysts: round bumps under the skin that may fill with thick material
• Lipomas: soft, movable lumps of fatty tissue under the skin
• Skin tags: small, soft flaps of skin, often on the neck, underarms, or eyelids
• Seborrheic keratoses: waxy, stuck-on looking growths common with age
• Warts: that have not responded to other treatment

Some growths are better handled by a dermatologist or surgeon because of their size, location, or appearance. If that is the case, your provider will explain why and help you take the next step.

When Should You Have a Mole Checked?

Most moles are harmless. Still, any mole that changes deserves attention. Many providers use the ABCDE guide to spot warning signs of melanoma:

• Asymmetry: one half does not match the other
• Border: edges are ragged, notched, or blurred
• Color: uneven color, or several shades of brown, black, red, white, or blue
• Diameter: larger than about 6 millimeters, roughly the size of a pencil eraser
• Evolving: changing in size, shape, color, or height, or starting to itch or bleed

Also watch for any sore that does not heal, or a spot that looks different from your other moles. If you notice any of these signs, schedule a visit soon. Living near the coast with lots of sun exposure makes regular skin checks especially important.

What Happens During a Skin Excision?

1. Evaluation: Your provider examines the growth, asks how long you have had it and whether it has changed, and explains the recommended approach.
2. Consent: You will review the procedure, risks, and aftercare before anything is done.
3. Cleaning and numbing: The area is cleaned, and a local anesthetic is injected. You will feel a brief sting, then the area becomes numb.
4. Removal: The provider removes the growth. You may feel pressure but should not feel sharp pain.
5. Closure: Depending on the size, the wound may be closed with stitches or covered with a bandage.
6. Lab testing: When appropriate, the tissue is sent to a lab for examination under a microscope.

What Is Recovery Like After a Skin Excision?

Most people go right back to normal daily activities. Your provider will give you specific instructions, which often include:

• Keeping the bandage on and the area dry for the first 24 to 48 hours
• Gently washing the area with soap and water afterward
• Applying petroleum jelly or an ointment as directed, and covering the wound
• Avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous activity that pulls on the wound, especially if it is on the back, shoulders, or legs
• Returning to have stitches removed, usually in about 1 to 2 weeks depending on the location

Mild soreness is normal for a few days and usually improves with over-the-counter pain relievers. Call us if you notice increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pus, fever, or bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure.

Will a Skin Excision Leave a Scar?

Any procedure that cuts through the skin leaves some scar. Your provider will work to keep it as small and neat as possible, often following the natural lines of the skin. Scars usually fade and flatten over several months. Protecting the area from the sun, keeping it moisturized, and following wound care instructions all help it heal well.

Does Insurance Cover Skin Growth Removal?

Insurance often covers removal when there is a medical reason, such as a mole that is changing, a cyst that keeps getting infected, or a growth that bleeds or is irritated by clothing. Removal for purely cosmetic reasons is usually not covered. Our team can help you understand your options. We accept most major insurance and offer clear self-pay rates. You can also read about urgent care costs in Conway.

What About an Infected Cyst?

If a cyst becomes red, swollen, painful, and filled with pus, it may need to be drained before it can be fully removed later. Our providers can treat infected cysts and abscesses during a walk-in visit. For other skin concerns, such as rashes, see our post on whether urgent care can treat a rash.

Why Choose Urgent Care & Family Medicine in Conway?

Our clinic at 235 Singleton Ridge Road is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Our providers offer minor procedures as part of our full range of services, along with family medicine care for ongoing skin checks.

How Should You Prepare for a Skin Excision?

Preparation is usually simple. Tell your provider about all medicines and supplements you take, especially blood thinners, aspirin, fish oil, or vitamin E, since these can increase bleeding. Do not stop a prescribed blood thinner on your own; your provider will tell you whether any change is needed. Let us know if you have had a reaction to numbing medicine in the past, if you have a pacemaker, or if you tend to form thick or raised scars. Wear clothing that makes the area easy to reach, and plan to keep the site dry for a day or two afterward. Most people can drive themselves home, since only local numbing medicine is used.

How Can You Protect Your Skin Going Forward?

Sun exposure is the biggest preventable cause of skin cancer, and the Grand Strand gets plenty of strong sunshine year-round. Simple habits help protect your skin:

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day, and reapply every two hours outdoors
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and protective clothing
• Seek shade during the strongest midday sun
• Avoid tanning beds
• Check your skin monthly, using a mirror or a partner to see your back and scalp
• Take photos of moles you want to keep an eye on, so changes are easier to notice

If you have many moles, fair skin, a history of bad sunburns, or a family history of skin cancer, ask your provider how often you should have a professional skin check. Bringing up skin concerns during your annual physical is a great way to stay on top of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does skin excision hurt?

You will feel a brief sting when the numbing medicine is injected. After that, most people feel only pressure during the procedure.

How long does a skin excision take?

Many minor excisions take 15 to 30 minutes for the procedure itself. Your total visit may be longer, including evaluation and aftercare instructions.

Will the removed growth be tested?

When appropriate, the tissue is sent to a lab for examination. Your provider will let you know how and when you will receive the results.

When are stitches removed?

Stitches are usually removed in about 1 to 2 weeks, depending on where the excision was done. Your provider will give you a specific timeline.

Can urgent care remove a cyst?

Our providers can evaluate cysts and remove or drain many of them in the office. Larger or complicated cysts may need a referral.