Ways to remove skin tags

Skin Tags

Skin tags if not attended to promptly could be a sight for sore eyes. The good news is that there is a cure….read on

What are skin tags

Skin Tags are blemishes on the skin which protrude. They are small in size, some having flesh colour while others contain pigments and therefore more visible. Skin Tags are also known as benign skin tumours and the only way to know at first glance that these blemishes are benign in that these blemishes do not grow in size, the maximum they grow is up to half inch, whereas the malignant skin tumours keep growing.

Skin tags are normally seen in the arm pits, on eyelids, groins and genitals although in some cases one can find them all over the body. They are nothing but an over growth of skin that cover the collagen fibres under them.

Although skin tags are harmless they are indeed a ‘sight for sore eyes’ and those who have them will leave no stone unturned to get rid of them. To do this one should first know what causes skin tags.

What causes skin tags?

It is reported that every other person at some time in their life would have developed skin tags. Being benign not much detailed research has gone into finding out what causes these blemishes. However, based on whatever studies that have so far been conducted on what causes skin tags they include obesity, heredity, pregnancy, insulin resistance, microorganisms and most important of all the constant friction on the skin.

Where the cause is heredity one notices these blemishes when one reaches middle age although it could happen at any time on those who are born to parents having these skin tags.

The obese get these skin tags as they are more exposed to rubbing of the skin in places like the arm pits, groins and genitals although here again these skin tags could appear anywhere in the body.

Although pregnant women could be victims of these not so nice looking skin tags, particularly due to high levels of hormones, the good news is that they will disappear with time without any treatment.

In many instances, tight clothing is what causes skin tags specially among women and these skin tags could be found under th breasts because of the bras they wear.

How to remove skin tags

If one is fortunate and knows what causes skin tags these ugly blemishes could be avoided even before they appear.

Unfortunately, despite the prophylactic measures one takes (after knowing what causes skin tags) such as weight control, avoiding tight clothing, avoiding skin rubbing, etc these skin tags may still appear. But most are still not aware what causes skin tags. The first thing one needs to do in that case is to consult a dermatologist as not every skin tag one sees could be benign. Once it is confirmed that they are benign skin tags there are several methods that one can use to get rid of these skin tags.

1. A sterilised pair of scissors will remove these skin tags very well. The scissors could be sterilised in two different ways. It could be heated on fire and used when it is cool enough or it could be dipped in a sanitizer long enough before using it. In order to reduce the pain the surrounding area could be treated with ice cubes. This method however needs care and could only be done by someone who has the experience. Once the skin tags are removed the area needs to be cleaned with water and an antiseptic lotion.

2. There are other home remedies to get rid of these skin tags. Any one of natural oils having no artificial chemicals in them could be applied on the skin tags every day. This method will soften the skin tags and remove them eventually. This is the cheapest method.

3. Cyrotherapy is yet another successful way to get rid of skin tags. Liquid nitrogen is applied directly on the skin tags which get dissolved and could then be easily removed.

4. Electrolysis is considered a sure way to get rid of skin tags. This is normally handled by a professional where an electric needle is used to remove the skin tag and a little of what lies beneath. This is the most effective and permanent method leaving little or no scars.