Skin Tags Can Be Removed

A skin tag is a common benign growth that looks like a small piece of hanging skin. Skin tags are found on the neck, underarms, eyelids, groin, and under breasts. The appearance can vary. They can be smooth or irregular, flesh colored or more brown, raised or have a stalk. They vary in size from rice sized to a golf ball size.

Tags are not present at birth. They are acquired as you grow older and also increase in frequency with age. They occur on anyone where the skin rubs against skin or clothing. They are more common in obese people.

It is a type of growth or tumor, but it is completely harmless and not cancerous.

Generally there are no symptoms, unless it gets snagged by something (clothing or jewelry). If this happens it can become irritated and start bleeding. Good news! Tags can be easily removed although they do not need to be removed. Most often they are removed for cosmetic reasons. There are three types of medical removal; scissors, freezing, or burning. There is also a quick healing time with this procedure. A doctor could take a biopsy if it is thought to be some other kind of skin problem.

A possible home treatment is to tie a piece of thread around the stalk and allow it to fall off in several days. Removing tags does not cause new ones to grow. Some people seem to be prone to developing tags.

Medical Names

-fibroepithelial polyps

-acrochordon

-cutaneous papilloma

-soft fibroma

-pedunculated

-filiform They might be confused with warts or moles. Both are common and not cancerous. They can be black or brown. They occur anywhere either alone or in groups.

Warts are rough and lay flat.

Moles appear in early childhood through age 20. It is normal to have 10-40 moles in adulthood. Over the years, moles need to be watched for changes in size, color, and shape. It these changes occur you should have them checked out by a doctor.

Tags are permanent unless removed and they can not be prevented. Click here to return from skin tags to the home page.