Skin tags won't hurt you, although you probably don't find these tiny growths welcome appendages to your person. These benign (noncanceous) growths are sometimes treated at home, with undesirable or ineffective results, says dermatologist Katherine Lim of the Mayo Clinic. Skin tags may be confused with other skin conditions, such as moles, warts, seborrheic keratoses and melanomas. The best thing to do about skin tags is to let your doctor diagnose them and suggest a treatment option.
Presentation
Skin tags present as bumps of tissue connected by the skin with a narrow stalk, says Lim. Typically, they are the same hue as the surrounding skin, although color can vary. So can texture, size and base width. The National Institutes for Health (NIH) states that skin tags, which also go by the medical names acrochordons and fibroepithelial polyps, are usually small but can grow to 1/2-inch long. Most often, skin tags are found on the neck, underarms, eyelids, under the breasts or in the area of the groin, says the NIH. A possible cause of skin tags is friction, so they may appear wherever skin rubs together or where clothing rubs against the skin.
Who Gets Them?
Lim says that roughly 50 percent of people get skin tags, usually during middle age. The NIH states that overweight people and those with diabetes are also prone to skin tags. Other risk factors associated with skin tags are pregnancy, acromegaly (gigantism), the human papilloma virus (HPV), Crohn's disease and insulin resistance, according to the Doctors of University of Southern California website.
Do They Hurt?
Skin tags are generally painless and are not medically threatening, says Lim. However, irritation from contact with clothing and jewelry can irritate them. If cut, such as during the act of shaving, they can bleed profusely, says the NIH.
What to Do
It's never a good idea to self-diagnose; most skin tags can be readily identified by a dermatologist, family practice or internal medicine physician, says Lim. If the skin tag is on the eyelid, an ophthalmologist may need to be consulted. Most skin tags are diagnosed without the need for extensive or invasive testing, says the Doctors of USC website. However, a skin biopsy may be required if the skin tag is unusual in appearance, says the NIH.
Effective Treatment
Skin tags don't require treatment, says Lim, but some find them uncomfortable or cosmetically displeasing. Lim cites the most effective home remedy to remove skin tags as tying the stalk with a piece of dental floss or thread so that blood flow is restricted, causing the tag to eventually "die" and fall off. Not only is this painful, Lim says, it can cause skin discoloration, infection and scarring. Skin tags can be safely removed by a doctor using cryotherapy, cauterization or surgical scissors. Large skin tags may require surgical removal.
