Skin tag
A skin tag is a short piece of soft, dangling skin with a peduncle or branch. These tags can occur anywhere on the body, especially when skin rubs against other skin or clothing. They’re general and harmless and get removed if they bother you.
Signs of skin rags
Skin tags appear as small, soft, skin-colored growths upon the skin. They vary in color and size – from a few millimeters to 5five cm broad.
Skin tags are noticeable on the armpits, neck, under the breasts, or around the groin. They can also develop over the eyelids or under the buttocks folds.
They can look like warts, but skin tags are usually:
- Smooth and soft
- Knobbly and hang off the skin
- Not contagious
Skin tags will not cause any pain or discomfort.
Cause
Skin tags are a build-up of collagen fibers loose and blood vessels circled by the skin. Collagen is a variety of proteins seen throughout the body.
Both men and women are prone to develop skin tags. These skin tags mostly tend to arise in older people and people who are in obese condition or have type 2 diabetes.
Pregnant women may even be more likely to develop skin tags due to changes in their hormone levels. There is even some sector of people growing them for no apparent explanation.
Skin tags tend to emerge in the skin folds, where the skin gets rubbed against itself, such as on the armpits, neck, or groin, affecting overweight people with excess folds of skin and skin chafing.
Removing skin tags
Avoid attempting to remove a skin tag because it leads to bleeding, so always consult the doctor for removal.
Skin tags are easily being burnt or frozen; they can be surgically removed, occasionally using local anesthetic. Freezing or burning skin tags can provoke irritation and temporary skin discoloration.
Surgical removal has the benefit of deleting the skin tag, but slight bleeding is possible.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 04 October 2022