Skin Tags 101: How to Remove Them, According to Derms
By Jennifer Gerson Uffalussy. Photos: Getty Images.
During the holiday season, we love seeing gift tags on presents both sent and received. Skin tags, though? Not so much. Which is why we’re breaking down what causes them and how to best (and safely!) remove them.
What Are They?
Michelle Nguyen, a dermatologist and the director of Mohs Micrographic Surgery at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, tells Allure that what we call skin tags are really just benign skin lesions composed of normal skin tissue. Adds Joshua Zeichner, dermatologist in New York City, skin tags, comprised of extra skin and fat, can happen to anyone, though there is a genetic component to them as well, and people whose parents had them are more likely to get them themselves.
But most importantly, Nguyen emphasizes, “They are not dangerous.” Nguyen explains that skin tags can turn up on any area of the skin that’s heavy on the friction—from eyelids to underarms and from the neck to the groin. She adds that genetic disposition, obesity, and pregnancy all might cause the development of the skin cases, though in rare cases, they can also be caused by diabetes. (Which is why if in doubt, have a doctor check it out.)
How Do You Get Rid Of Them?
Zeichner makes clear that your friendly skin tags can be removed in just a few simple steps at your dermatologist’s office:
First comes the numbing, usually in the form of a tiny needle prick’s worth of lidocaine
Next, the spot is either snipped off with a medical grade scissor
And last but not least, a chemical or cautery device (aka, an electric buzzer) will be used to stop any bleeding
Alternately, some docs might take the following course of action:
A topical numbing cream will be applied first
Liquid nitrogen will be applied to the tag to freeze it off
And sometimes, you might see some combination or variation on all of the above, with cautery being used to burn off spots directly, after topical or injected numbing is first applied.
How Do You Prevent Them?
Reducing skin friction—like, not wearing necklaces that can rub on the skin—can help keep new tags from developing, says Nguyen, who adds that removed skin tags don’t typically grow back, though new ones may grow in the same general area where tags have previously popped up.
Zeichner recommends that you not try to remove skin tags at home yourself since they can bleed upon removal and become infected without proper precaution and explains that at-home treatments are not very effective at treating large tags and can cause significant irritation. And while removal of tags in a doctor’s office is often not covered by insurance, and can cost between $200 to $500 to remove them, Zeichner says he advises to discuss any skin tags with a board-certified dermatologist to come up with a removal plan that works for you.
The good news? A healthy diet and lifestyle can help keep blood sugar level low, which can help prevent skin tags from forming.
This story originally appeared on Allure.
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