Skin Tag Removal

How To Get Rid of Skin Tags

Do not try to remove skin tags without speaking to a GP first. If you have a skin tag that’s causing problems, consider making an appointment with a privately practising GP to have it removed.

Skin tags can easily be burnt or frozen off in a similar way to how warts are removed. They can also be surgically removed, sometimes using local anaesthetic.

Freezing or burning tags can cause irritation and temporary skin discolouration, and the skin tag may not fall off and further treatment may be needed. Surgical removal has the advantage of removing the skin tag completely, but there is a risk of minor bleeding.

How Are Skin Tags Removed?

Skin tags can easily be burnt or frozen off in a similar way to how warts are removed, using liquid nitrogen. We suggest you go to a skin clinic to remove tags or to destroy unwanted skin tissue as this is something best done by a medical professional or a board-certified dermatologist. They can also be surgically removed, sometimes using local anaesthetic.

Freezing or burning tags can cause irritation and temporary skin discolouration, and the skin tag may not fall off and further treatment may be needed.

Surgical treatments as a way to remove tags have the advantage of removing the skin tag completely, but there is a risk of minor bleeding.

Why Do Skin Tags Occur?

Skin tags are made of loose collagen fibres and blood vessels surrounded by skin. Collagen is a type of protein found throughout the body.

Both men and women can develop skin tags. They tend to occur in older people and people who are obese or have type 2 diabetes. Pregnant women may also be more likely to develop skin tags as a result of changes in their hormone levels. Some people develop them for no apparent reason.

Skin tags tend to grow in the skin folds, where the surrounding skin rubs against itself, such as on the neck, armpits or groin. This is why they tend to affect overweight people who have excess folds of skin and skin chafing.

Are There Any Risks?

In short, there are very few risks following skin tag removal and infection is very rare. However, it is very important to keep the area dry and if the area scabs do not knock it off or dislodge it as this may delay healing and leave a mark on the skin. Most tags, if removed correctly, will not scar and removing tags will result in clear unmarked skin.

Are They Skin Cancer?

Unlike certain types of moles that may appear on your body, skin tags are not cancerous. However, it’s possible to mistake them for other lesions that may be cancerous. Your dermatologist will ultimately determine whether this is the case.

Skin conditions or lumps or bumps should be monitored closely and checked regularly, if you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our in house dermatologist about our available dermatology treatments.

What Are Skin Folds?

The skinfold method, the measurement of subcutaneous fat folds, is the most widely adopted field method for the assessment of body fat, especially in children. It is based on the principle that fat is of a known density and by “summing” measurements of subcutaneous fat thickness across the body, total and regional fat can be estimated. Folds can cause skin irritation and skin rubbing.