As you get older, you might start to see small, bright red "dots" or "moles" on your skin, especially on your arms and torso. When you see a new spot, you might worry for a second: What is this? Is it risky? Cherry angiomas are almost always the cause of these common lesions. They can be bothersome to look at, but they are not dangerous. With Direct Primary Care (DPC), you can get a quick, accurate diagnosis, immediate peace of mind, and easy fixes for these common skin spots.
A cherry angioma is a harmless (non-cancerous) growth on the skin that is made up of a group of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. They are also known as "senile angiomas" or "Campbell de Morgan spots."
What they look like: Small, smooth, well-defined bumps on the skin.
The color is usually a bright "cherry-red," but it can also be more purple.
Most of the time, they show up on the trunk, arms, and shoulders.
Adults over 30 are very likely to have them, and their number tends to go up with age.
The Good News: They Are Not Dangerous The most important thing to know about cherry angiomas is that they are almost always not dangerous at all. They are not skin cancer and they don't turn into skin cancer. Treatment is not medically necessary and is usually only done for cosmetic reasons or if a lesion is in a place where it gets irritated by clothing and bleeds often, like along a bra line or waistband.
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a membership-based model that lets patients see their doctor whenever they want. The DPC model's focus on access, education, and in-office procedures makes it easy and satisfying to deal with a common skin problem like a cherry angioma. Here's why DPC is the best way to treat cherry angiomas:
Quick diagnosis and instant peace of mind: This is the most common and useful service for this problem. DPC lets you make an appointment for the same day or the next day to have a new or troubling skin spot checked out without having to wait long.
A Sure Diagnosis. Your DPC doctor can almost always tell if you have a cherry angioma just by looking at it. This gives you peace of mind right away that it isn't a dangerous growth like melanoma.
This quick access and clear answer stops the days or weeks of worry that can come from waiting for a regular appointment.
Easy, in-office removal of bothersome lesions: A lot of DPC practices can treat these simple spots right away, so you don't have to go to a specialist.
"Look and Fix." If your angiomas look bad or are in a spot where they get irritated and bleed a lot, your DPC doctor might be able to do a simple in-office procedure like electrosurgery (using a hot-wire needle to cauterize the lesion) or cryotherapy (freezing).
Easy and cheap. This in-office method saves you the time, trouble, and high out-of-pocket costs of having to go to a separate dermatologist for a referral and procedure. Many DPC practices include simple procedures like this in the membership or charge a small, clear fee for them.
Shared decision-making and teaching patients: The DPC model that doesn't rush lets you have a real conversation about your skin.
No Pressure to Get Treatment. Your doctor has the time to fully explain to you that these spots are not harmful and that you don't need any medical treatment.
A choice that gives you power. You can make a decision together about whether to remove the spots or just keep an eye on them, weighing the pros and cons of each option.
Case 1: Jessica, 48, sees a lot of new bright red spots on her stomach and is worried they might be skin cancer. She makes an appointment with her DPC doctor for the same day. The doctor looks at her skin very carefully, confidently says that the spots are benign cherry angiomas, and gives her complete peace of mind in just one visit.
Case 2: Michael, 65, has a cherry angioma on his side that is always getting irritated by his waistband and sometimes bleeds. His DPC doctor offers to take it out right then and there during his yearly physical. The doctor does a simple electrosurgery that only takes a minute. The spot is gone, and Michael's DPC membership includes the procedure.
Q: Do cherry angiomas mean you have cancer? A: No. Cherry angiomas are harmless growths of blood vessels and have nothing to do with skin cancer. But you should always see a doctor about any new or changing skin lesion to make sure you get the right diagnosis.
Q: Do I have to get rid of my cherry angiomas? A: No, medically. There is no medical reason to take out a cherry angioma that doesn't have any symptoms. People usually decide to get rid of them for cosmetic reasons or because the lesion is in a place where it gets hurt all the time.
Q: Is it true that my DPC doctor can really take them out in the office? A: Yes, a lot of the time. A lot of DPC doctors are good at doing simple skin procedures like cryotherapy (freezing) and electrosurgery (cautery), which work very well to get rid of small cherry angiomas. This makes it easy and cheap to get treatment for annoying spots right in your primary care doctor's office.
DPC has clear benefits for these very common skin spots, such as:
Giving quick comfort: Quickly and accurately figuring out what these spots are, which takes away the common fear of skin cancer.
Providing easy and cheap treatment in the office: Often able to get rid of annoying lesions without having to see a specialist, which can be expensive and take a lot of time.
Stopping unnecessary medicalization: Giving patients the information they need to make informed decisions about their treatment.
Most of the time, those little red spots on your skin are just a normal part of getting older, but a new one can still make you worry. Direct Primary Care gives you quick access to a diagnosis you can trust, the peace of mind you need, and easy, convenient ways to treat them if you want to. It's the best skin care that's personal and cheap.
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