Skin tags are benign growths hanging from the skin. They are painless and range in size from a tiny flap to the size of a grape. Although they appear all over the body, they are most commonly found in the armpits, groin and neckline.
Cause
Friction from clothing or body parts rubbing in skin folds causes skin tags to appear on the skin.
Candidates
Middle age and older individuals have a greater occurrence of skin tags. Overweight people also have an increased chance of developing skin tags.
Symptoms
Skin tags appear as small, flesh-colored bulbs of skin hanging from a stalk attached to the skin.
Treatment
Skin tags are harmless and may be left alone. If they are bothersome, they can be clipped off with surgical scissors or frozen off in the doctor's office.
Complications
Few complications are associated with skin tag removal. Bleeding may occur from clipping off the skin tag. Applying pressure to the site will stop the bleeding.
Preauricular Tags
At times, babies are born with skin tags in front of their ear opening. These skin tags are called preauricular tags.
