Skin tags are one of those things almost every patient apologises for asking about. “It’s probably silly, but…” is how the conversation usually starts, followed by someone lifting their collar or rolling up a sleeve to show me a small flap of skin they’ve been meaning to get looked at for months, sometimes years. It isn’t silly at all. Skin tags are one of the most common things I see in clinic, and there’s a lot of confusion, and a fair bit of misinformation, about what they actually are, whether they matter, and what to do about them.
So let’s clear it up properly.
Why Skin Tags Occur
A skin tag, medically known as an acrochordon, is a small, soft growth of skin that usually hangs off a thin stalk. They tend to turn up in areas where skin rubs against skin or against clothing, so the neck, armpits, groin, under the breasts and the eyelids are all common spots.
Nobody knows the exact cause with total certainty, but friction is clearly part of the story, which is why they cluster in body folds. Genetics play a role too, and I see them run in families constantly. They also become more common with age, during pregnancy, and in people who are overweight or who have insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, likely because higher insulin levels encourage skin cell growth. None of this means you’ve done anything wrong. I have very fit, healthy patients covered in them, and patients with none of these risk factors who still develop several. Skin simply does this as we get older, in the same way we get grey hairs or fine lines.
Are They Dangerous?
No, and I can say that with real confidence. Skin tags are entirely benign. They aren’t a form of skin cancer, they don’t turn into skin cancer, and they carry no health risk whatsoever beyond being a nuisance.
The one caveat I always give patients is that not everything that looks like a skin tag actually is one. Occasionally what someone assumes is a skin tag turns out to be a wart, a seborrhoeic keratosis, or, very rarely, something that needs a closer look under a dermatoscope. That’s the main reason I’d encourage anyone unsure to get a new or unusual growth checked rather than assuming, particularly if it looks different from your other skin tags, changes colour, bleeds without an obvious reason, or grows quickly. That’s not me trying to worry you, it’s simply good practice. In the overwhelming majority of cases, what looks like a skin tag is exactly that.
Why They Become Irritating
Even though they’re harmless, skin tags have a habit of making a nuisance of themselves out of all proportion to their size. Sitting on a thin stalk, they’re vulnerable to catching on jewellery, clothing, razors and seatbelts, which can make them sore, inflamed or even bleed. Ones in the armpit or groin get irritated by daily friction and by deodorant or shaving. Eyelid tags can interfere with eyeliner or simply feel like they’re constantly there, because they are.
There’s also, understandably, the cosmetic side of things. A cluster of tags on the neck or a prominent one somewhere visible can knock someone’s confidence more than they’d expect from something so small, and patients often tell me they’ve started avoiding certain necklines or tops because of it. That’s a perfectly good reason to have them removed. You don’t need a medical justification to want a skin tag gone.
Popular Home Remedies
If you’ve searched this online, you’ll have come across no shortage of home remedies, and patients ask me about most of them at some point. Tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, dental floss or thread tied tightly around the base to cut off blood supply, over the counter freezing kits, and even nail clippers or scissors used at home are all things I hear about regularly.
I understand the appeal. They’re cheap, they’re private, and the internet makes them look simple. Some of these methods can, technically, eventually work on a small tag, particularly the tying off method, which mimics what a doctor might do more safely and precisely.
Why Home Treatments Can Cause Problems
This is the part I feel strongly about, so I’ll be direct. I would genuinely advise against removing skin tags yourself. It’s not overcaution on my part, it’s based on what walks through my door.
Cutting or tying off a skin tag at home carries a real risk of infection, particularly in warm, moist areas like the groin or under the breast where tags are common. Bleeding can be more significant than people expect, especially with larger tags, which have a proper blood supply running through that stalk. I’ve also seen patients who’ve tied off a tag only for it to become painfully inflamed for days before eventually dropping off, or not dropping off at all and needing removal anyway. And, as I mentioned, if what you’re treating isn’t actually a skin tag, home removal can delay a proper diagnosis of something that did need checking, which is the scenario that concerns me most.
None of these outcomes are common, but they’re entirely avoidable, and given how quick and inexpensive professional removal is, I don’t think the risk is worth it for the sake of a home remedy.
Medical Removal Options
In clinic, removal is genuinely straightforward. The method depends mainly on size and location, but the main options are cauterisation, using a fine heated tip to remove the tag and seal the area at once, cryotherapy, freezing the tag off with liquid nitrogen, and snip excision, simply cutting the tag away with sterile scissors under local anaesthetic if needed. For most patients I use cauterisation, because it gives an immediate result with minimal fuss.
Local anaesthetic isn’t always necessary for small tags, though I’ll always offer it, particularly for anything larger or in a sensitive area such as the eyelid. Multiple tags can usually be removed in the same appointment, which patients tend to appreciate given how often they come in clusters.
Skin Tag
What To Expect
The appointment itself is quick, often no more than fifteen to twenty minutes depending on how many tags we’re treating. There is very little discomfort with local anaesthetic, and most patients describe a slight pinching sensation rather than anything painful.
After treatment, you will notice a small scab or pinpoint mark where the tag was, which usually settles within one to two weeks. Aftercare is simple, keeping the area clean and dry, and avoiding picking at any scab. Scarring is very rare when it’s done properly. Most people go straight back to their normal routine the same day.
If you’ve got a skin tag, or several, that you’ve been putting up with, catching on your necklace or just bothering you every time you see it in the mirror, there’s no need to live with it or reach for the nail scissors. Book a consultation and we can sort it properly, safely and in a matter of minutes.
