DIY biopsy (after the event suggestions :) )

[Andrew]

Still do, AFAIK. Very strong 'elastic' bands and a special

3-tonged device to apply it.

[Andrew]

This is DIY. Use a short section of heat shrinkable tubing :-)

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

I have a PWS Birthmark on my hand, arm and back, it's forever randomly sprouting growths. As a child and into my teens I had around 4 x papilloma type growths. The most annoying one on my wrist was killed by the Dr by tightly tying cotton around it's skinny stem. Took about 2 weeks IIRC for it to blacken up and drop off. I also remember it being quite painful in the final days.

Through my 20's Doctors failed miserably trying to remove growths by freezing, typically aggravating the growths which grew back more vigourously and then had to be cut out, which on a deep purple birthmark was a challenge to stop the bleeding before stitching back up.

The last 20+ years I've been doing my own 100% effective removal procedures with my MAPP torch and the marlin spike on an old army clasp knife.

Heat the spike tip to a glowing orange and dab away at the growth to the smell of burning skin. This does 2 or 3 things; firstly it kills the growth cells and the growth shrinks back, 2nd it presumably kills off all HPV (if that's what causes them) in the area so they can't return and finally it cauterises all blood vessels in the area (of which there are a great many), and cleans everything up nicely for a small scar to form as the skin re-grows. No plasters, dressings or antiseptic etc required.

Far quicker, cleaner and less painful than the hatchet jobs the NHS "dermo specialists" made over the years. Now it's just 1 small circular scar rather than 1" longitudinal scars.

[nightjar]

If it lived on after being removed from the body, that would be real cause for concern.