Skin Tags
Skin tags occur in approximately half of the American population. Although they are small, they may be unsightly and even painful for those who have them. What is this common skin ailment? It is skin tags, small growths of skin that tend to appear in body creases. Much is known about what skin tags are and who tends to have them, but the exact cause is unknown. For those who suffer from skin tags, there are a number of treatment options available.
Skin tags are also called fibroepithelial polyps, acrochordons, cutaneous papillomas, or soft fibromas. They are benign tumors which will not become cancerous. Tags are often seen on healthy people and are not a signal of poor health. The growths are a rare concern, only if they are abnormally large or atypical in appearance. If the growth is suspected to be anything other than a tag, a sample may be sent to a pathologist for further examination to eliminate the possibility of skin cancer.
Skin tags are usually seen where skin creases, such as the neck, groin, armpits, or under the breasts. They also occur on the face, particularly the eyelids. These growths can, however, occur anywhere on the body. Tags begin as small bumps on the skin and become slightly larger and longer. The size is usually that of a rice grain and may grow to that of a grape. Skin tags are rarely bigger than this.
The appearance of skin tags differs from person to person. A tag is sometimes smooth and other times wrinkled. The color may match the skin or be darker brown. Tags which are black in color have undergone necrosis, in which the skin has twisted and died. These growths may fall off by themselves. The structure of skin tags involves the epidermis, or outer skin layer, growing outward and covering the dermis underneath. This underlying skin becomes loose and swollen, forming a long growth. The skin tag is on a raised column of skin called a peduncle.
The precise cause of skin tags is not known, so it is impossible to accurately predict who will get them. The growths are acquired during the life span and never appear at birth. While tags occur in children, the frequency increases in adults. Skin tags tend to be seen in obese people, particularly those with diabetes, and in pregnant women, due to increased hormone levels. The ailment also increases with age, most often appearing from middle-age up to age 60. People with Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and Crohn's disease may also have skin tags.
Skin Tag Treatment
People wishing to remove skin tags have a number of options. While the growths are not dangerous if left attached, they can become irritating. Clothes or jewelry may rub against the tags and shaving can cause discomfort. In some circumstances, skin tags bleed from such rubbing. People who wish to remove small skin tags can do so at home. A common home remedy involves tying thread or dental floss around the tag, thereby cutting off the blood supply, and waiting for the growth to fall off. This home-based procedure can, however, take days or weeks and is difficult to accomplish with a large number of skin tags.
Because skin tags contain nerve cells, they can be painful to remove and require a physician's care. However, these procedures are considered cosmetic and insurance may not reimburse patients. Removal of small skin tags may not require painkiller, but larger skin tags likely will. Physicians may inject lidocaine into the site or use a topical anesthetic in an area with many skin tags. While skin tags are often removed by a dermatologist, family physicians and internal medicine specialists may also complete the procedure. Eye doctors may remove tags around the eye area.
Physicians offer patients a variety of options for skin tag removal. Cauterization involves burning off the growths with an electric current. However, the procedure may require repeated treatments and can discolor the skin. Cryosurgery involves the skin tag first undergoing ligation, in which the skin is tied off or clamped with forceps to prevent bleeding. The tag tissue is then frozen, killed, and removed with liquid nitrogen. As with cauterization, cryosurgery may also need to be repeated and can change the appearance of surrounding skin. With excision, a physician cuts off the growth with scissors or a scalpel. Although the skin tag is immediately removed, minor bleeding may occur. Aluminum chloride is effective at stopping bleeding from the site.
Even after having the growths taken off, some people are prone to repeated skin tags and may need periodic removals. Removing a single tag, however, does not cause it to multiply and for increased numbers of growths to come back in its place.
Although skin tags are not completely understood, much is known about their structure and growth. Many people suffer from these skin abnormalities and a number of treatment options are available to them. Because of advances in skin-related cosmetic procedures, people can succeed in their quests for unblemished skin.
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