Avoid skin tags and mole removers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to buy anti-skin tag and anti-mole products online and has sent warning letters to three companies for selling the unapproved items.

In the letter, the agency said the products had not been evaluated for safety, efficacy or quality and therefore violated federal food, drug and cosmetic law.

The FDA has not approved any prescription or over-the-counter drugs for the treatment of moles, seborrheic keratoses, or skin tags. Use of these products can cause injuries and scarring that may “endanger the health of consumers when used without consulting a healthcare practitioner,” the agency said in a statement.

The following companies were given 15 days to respond to the FDA’s August 4 letter regarding the products listed below:

Amazon.co.uk:

• Set of Deisana skin tag remover, mole remover and repair gel

• Skincell Taupe Skin Tag Correction Serum

Ariella Naturals:

• Ariella Skin Tag Remover & Mole Corrector and Repair Lotion

• Ariella Skin Tag Remover and Mole Remover (two pieces)

Qualified Laboratories:

• Skincell Advanced Mole Skin Tag Correction Serum

• Skincell Taupe Skin Tag Correction Serum

Since the publication of this article, Ariella Naturals continues to list the cited products on its website; Amazon and Justified Laboratories no longer list them.

Meanwhile, Amazon offers other mole and skin tag removal products that were not mentioned in the FDA warning letter.

Tips for removing skin lesions

The FDA recommends that moles be evaluated by a health care provider because self-diagnosis and treatment can lead to delayed cancer diagnosis or even cancer progression.

Anyone with a mole or skin tag that is growing, changing, bleeding, or painful should see a doctor and not treat it themselves, the FDA said. Removing it yourself can change its appearance and make it difficult for a medical professional to determine if the lesion is cancerous.

“If skin cancer is not completely removed, it can continue to grow and eventually spread to other parts of your body,” the FDA said in a statement. message to consumers. “Dermatologists and other skin specialists are trained to identify suspicious lesions, examine them, and help patients choose the best treatment.”

Unapproved products may have high concentrations of potentially harmful substances, even if they claim to be natural or organic. Additionally, they may not completely remove a skin lesion, and if they do, the result may be permanent damage to the surrounding skin, such as scarring or discoloration, that looks worse than the lesion.

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