Skin tags, also called acrochordons, are small brown or flesh-colored flaps of skin. According to the American Medical Association, skin tags are often caused by the healing of a wound or they can grow spontaneously. Usually harmless, these growth of skin tend to become more common after midlife. The best remedy for skin tags is removal by a physician, but there is one home remedy you can try.
Causes
The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that skin tags are formed when the skin is irritated when skin rubbing against skin or clothing. Skin tags often develop in body folds, such as the armpits, neck or other areas. Skin tags are more common in people who have diabetes or are overweight. The hormonal changes and growth factors present during pregnancy can also cause skin tag growth. If one or both of your parents was prone to skin tags, you are more likely to develop the condition. Other risk factors for skin tags include human papilloma virus, Crohn's disease, and gigantism (acromegaly).
Prevention
Skin tags are made up of blood vessels and collagen fibers surrounded by a thin layer of skin. They are typically the size of rice grains but can grow up to a half-inch long. The best prevention measure is maintaining a healthy body weight, which will reduce the amount of skin-to-skin friction and friction between your skin and clothing.
Physician Remedies
Skin tags that are irritating or cosmetically displeasing can be removed, but treatment is usually not necessary otherwise. Moles and other skin growths can resemble skin tags, so it a good idea to have your skin examined by a health care professional before the tags are removed. Your doctor will look at the appearance of the skin growth. An unusual-looking skin tag may require a biopsy. According to Mount Sinai Medical Center, health care providers treat skin tags with cryotherapy, which involves freezing the tag with liquid nitrogen so it falls off; surgical excision, where tags are removed with a small scissors; and electrosurgery, where an electric current is applied to the tag to cauterize it. Anesthesia is not required with these procedures and the skin tag areas usually do not bleed. Scar formation does not usually occur with skin tag removal, if done by a professional.
A Home Remedy
A home remedy for skin tags involves ligation, or applying a thin thread or suture around the neck of the acrochordon to cut off its blood supply. This works most easily on larger tags. Keep the thread in place until the tag falls off, which can take several days.
Regrowth
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, once removed, skin tags usually do not regrow in the same spot. They may appear elsewhere on the body, however. Skin tags usually do not grow or change shape once they have formed.
References
- "Encyclopedia of Medicine;" The American Medical Association; 1989
- Mount Sinai Medical Center -- Diseases and Conditions: Acrochordons
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cutaneous Skin Tags
