His and Her Health

I'm not sure if this is unusual or normal.<BR>I have this small growth on the Labia majora. My doc called it a "Christmas Ball". The thing is that it hurts when its touched,gets caught in my underwear, and gets caught with my vibrator. Is this normal? Is this something the doc needs to take care of or is this a homepathic method?

Sounds like you need a new doctor. Christmas Ball doesn't sound too technical or proffessional to me. He should have told you what it is, done tests if he didn't know, and if it hurts he needs to remove it if that is a safe option.<BR>Are you seeing a family doctor or an Ob/Gyn?

I've never heard of a Christmas ball (in that context), but it sounds like a skin tag. They are fairly common, but generally aren't painful (unless it's being irritated, which is possible, or for a few other reasons). I've copied some info from a website, but if you just do a search on skin tags you should find more info so you can tell for yourself if that's what it sounds like. <P><BR>What Is It?<P>A skin tag is a soft, skin-colored growth that hangs from the surface of the skin on a thin piece of tissue called a stalk. Its medical name is acrochordon. Skin tags are not skin cancer and cannot turn into skin cancer. <P>Skin tags typically appear as people age. They are quite common in people 60 and older. They are more common in women, and a tendency to develop them may run in families. Skin tags also develop commonly following pregnancy. <P>They appear most often in skin folds of the neck, armpits, torso, beneath the breasts or in the genital region. They can become an irritation if they occur in an area where clothing or jewelry rubs against them, and they may be unsightly.<P>Symptoms<P>Skin tags at first may appear as tiny soft bumps on the skin. Over time, they grow into a flesh-colored piece of skin attached to the skin surface by a stalk. It's easy to move or wiggle skins tags back and forth. They are painless, although they can become irritated if they are rubbed a lot.<P>If a skin tag is twisted on its stalk, a blood clot can develop within it and the skin tag may become painful.<P>Diagnosis<P>Doctors can recognize skin tags easily by examining the skin. For skin tags with a characteristic appearance (soft, easily moveable, flesh-colored or slightly darker and usually attached to the skin surface by a stalk), a biopsy is unnecessary. If you notice a suspected skin tag doesn't move, is a different color than surrounding skin, is multicolored, or has raw or bleeding areas, ask your doctor to examine it.<P>Expected Duration<P>Skin tags are permanent growths unless you have them removed. Many people develop multiple skin tags.<P>Prevention<P>There is no known way to prevent skin tags. <P>Treatment<P>Doctors remove skin tags with sharp scissors, a sharp blade or, less commonly, by freezing or burning them off at the stalk. Bleeding can be stopped with a chemical (aluminum chloride) or electric (cauterizing) treatment.<P>Because skin tags are only of cosmetic concern, most health insurance plans will not pay for their removal.<P>When To Call A Professional<P>Call your doctor if you notice that a suspected skin tag changes color or becomes painful. <P>Prognosis<P>The outlook for people with skin tags is excellent. They are not cancerous or precancerous growths, and they can be easily removed if desired.<P>

I do see a OB/GYN, not a family doctor.<P>It does sound like a skin tag, and now that I know what it si, I feel better. Thanks for your answers.