How To Get Rid of Skin Tags

In this article I’ll be talking about skin tags and the removal treatments that you can use to get rid of them.

What are skin tags?

Skin tags or acrochorda are soft, fleshy bits of skin that can develop on your body, usually around the armpits, groin, neck and eyes.

Most skin tags are between 2mm and 6mm in diameter (although they can grow to as big as 5cm), have a smooth or slightly wrinkled texture and brown or pink in colour. They are not contagious, so don’t worry about anyone else catching them from you.

Although they are usually harmless non-cancerous tumours, they can be unsightly and can even be quite painful if the snag on pieces of jewelry or clothing so many sufferers are keen to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Once a skin tag has formed, it will generally stay with you for life unless you take active steps to remove it.

What causes skin tags?

Despite the many studies that have been undertaken to try and establish exactly what causes skin tags to develop, scientists still do not know for sure why they form or why some people are more vulnerable to getting them than others.

The best theory they have is that they are caused by friction when folds of skin rub together or when clothes rub against the skin.

A lot of city workers that wear tight starched shirts get skin tags on their neck where the collar rubs against it. Other common areas that skin tags develop are around the groin (where the inner thighs may rub together when walking) and the armpits (where the arms rub against the abdomen) as well as various other crevices or folds in the skin. If you get new skin tags regularly, it may be worth wearing looser clothing to try and prevent them.

Women seem to be more at risk of getting skin tags than men (especially pregnant women) and people who are overweight or elderly are also more vulnerable.

How to get rid of skin tags

The best way of getting rid of skin tags is by tying a piece of fishing line, cotton or dental floss tightly around it. This cuts off the blood supply and after a few days it will turn black and simply drop off. I have used this skin tag removal method myself on numerous occasions and it has worked every single time.

Another method that you can use for small skin tags is to cut them off with sterilised nail-clippers, a knife or a pair of scissors. Although it will get rid of the skin tag immediately, it can be quite painful and may bleed for a while afterwards.

There are also skin tag removal kits available, however they do not always work and can be quite costly so I’d recommend purchasing them only if you’ve exhausted all other treatments.

Finally, your doctor will be able to remove your skin tags for you, however this can be expensive because the procedure is regarded as cosmetic surgery due to the growths being harmless.

Your doctor can use traditional surgery (cutting it off), electrotherapy (burning it off) or cryotherapy (freezing it off) to get rid of your skin tag. All these methods work equally well and the one that is used will probably be the one your doctor personally prefers.