Tips to Remove Skin Tags

I know skin tags are harmless, but how do I get rid of them?

A plague of skin tags

Q: My neck is slowly becoming populated with tiny brown tags of skin, mostly where I used to wear necklaces. They are not painful, but I would like to get rid of them. My GP was dismissive, saying that I should just leave them. Will they go, will more come, and how can I get rid of them?

A: They are skin tags. They aren’t serious, they aren’t cancerous and they won’t go away of their own accord. I don’t know if more will appear, but people who get them usually get quite a few. Another common place for skin tags is under the breasts and in the armpits. They become more common with age. There are several ways to remove them. A doctor will use either a scalpel, a pair of surgical scissors, or a freezing device that kills them. Another option is to tie them with thread. This cuts off their blood supply and they eventually die and drop off. Patients have told me that a simpler way of getting rid of them is to regularly rub them with a loofah or bath glove that is designed to clear away dead skin cells. If you do try this, let me know if it works.
Article from:    The Independent (London, England)  | Article date:  July 17, 2007 | Author:  Dr Fred Kavalier

Skin Tag Removal at Home

If you are embarrassed or irritated from a funny little piece of extra skin somewhere on your person, you may have a skin tag.

skin tag removal

Skin tags (medical name: acrochordon) as it turns out are a common condition, basically a benign tumor, or growth of skin, on various part of the body–most commonly the eyelids, nose, cheek, neck, armpits, upper chest and groin.   More women (especially pregnant women) than men get skin tags, and skin tags increase in both genders with age, diabetes, and obesity.  Skin tags usually don’t cause any serious health problems, but are unwanted for aesthetic reasons or because of the minor irritation they can cause.

Getting rid of a skin tag is relatively simple, as the suggestions below show.

Removing skin tags with a scalpel or scissors is a common and easy way to get rid of skin tags at home. Make sure the blade you use is sharp and sanitized (use an open flame, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide), and cut as quickly and closely to the healthy skin as you can. Some bleeding may occur, but shouldn’t last for more than a minute. Tweezers may also be used to pull the skin tag off. Getting rid of skin tags this way will likely be painful, and you might want to numb the area first with an ice cube, or other cold substance.

Remove skin tags by freezing them off with liquid nitrogen (cyrotherapy).  Liquid nitrogen is a common treatment for skin growths. When applied to a skin tag, liquid nitrogen will destroy the cell tissue quickly and efficiently. Getting rid of skin tags with cyrotherapy may cause some minor pain and scarring, and the liquid nitrogen should not be applied to the same area of skin more than once a week.
Electrosurgery, or electrolysis, is an effective way to get rid of skin tags. This procedure is usually performed by a professional, who will use an electric needle to destroy the skin tag growth, as well as any additional growth beneath the skin. Electrolysis is usually fast and permanent, with minor scarring.

You can also remove skin tags by cutting off their blood supply. Use thread or string to tie off the skin tag close to the healthy skin to cut off the blood supply, which will eventually cause the skin tag to fall off (usually after a day or two). Depending on the location of the skin tag, you may either need help tying the string tight enough to be effective, or be unable to use this method (unless you don’t mind having a piece of string
hanging from your nose) to get rid of skin tags.

Cover skin tags in certain areas with a band aid to avoid further irritation before treatment, or to avoid treatment. Skin tags in areas like the armpits, the groin, the chest, and the back (basically any area that rubs against clothing or other skin on a frequent basis) are prone to irritation, which can cause skin tags to worsen, and in turn cause getting rid of skin tags to become more difficult or painful.

Treating Skin Conditions
If you don’t feel confident about diagnosing skin tags, see a dermatologist before attempting to treat yourself. There are numerous other, more serious, skin problems that may require more serious attention and different treatment than skin tags.These include moles, warts, freckles, and general skin damage from sun or chemicals.

Birt-Hogg Dube syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by skin problems, especially noncancerious tumors occuring in hair follicles on the face, neck and chest. The presence of this syndrome can increase a person’s risk of other internal cancerous tumours and cysts. While it’s highly unlikely that you have this disorder, something like this is a good reason for you to consult a health professional if you are at all unsure about or unfamiliar with diagnosing or treating skin tags, or any other skin disorder.