Skin tags are common and harmless small growths that hang off your skin.
Skin tags are soft, small, pedunculated, skin-colored growths which can vary in size and color.
Skin tags(acrochordons) are usually found in the armpits, neck, groin area and near breasts. They are common on the eyelids.
Sometimes they look like warts, but skin tags are:
- Soft and smooth (warts usually are rough with an irregular surface)
- knobby and hangingfrom the skin (warts are raised or flat)
- not contagious (warts spread; cluster of growths is more likely to be a wart).
Skin tags are asymptomatic.
What causes skin tags
Skin tags are made of loose blood vessels and collagen fibers surrounded by skin.
Both women and men develop skin tags. They are more common in older people and people with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Pregnant women are likely to develop skin tags as a result of hormonal changes.
Skin tags are common in skin folds, sites of friction, where skin rubs against itself, such as armpits, neck, or groin. Therefore, they affect overweight people who have excessive folds of skin.
Skin tags can be removed if they’re on cosmetic significant site or affecting your self-esteem, or if they snag on jewelry or clothing and bleed.
skin tag removal is a cosmetic surgery.
Skin tags removal
Skin tags can be surgically removed, under local or topical anesthetic(EMLA cream) with good cosmetic results.
Freezing(cryotherapy) of skin tags can cause temporary skin discoloration.
Surgical removal with CO2 laser removes the skin tag completely,
Never attempt toself-remove skin tags because can bleed.