Skin tags are benign growths that appear on the top of the skin. It’s not something that is cancerous, it doesn’t hurt, doesn’t bleed, or even discharge. This is something that occurs across the body, for many people. Men, women, and children can get this issue, and it’s not too complex to deal with. It’s isolated to areas that have a crease, fold, or rub against the dermis. There are some rare cases in which these issues are signs of a larger problem, it’s not always the case. A dermatologist can remove skin tags, often within one visit, and can even diagnose the larger issue, if it exists.
What Exactly Are Skin Tags?
Skin tags are growths that appear on top of the skin. They occur due to collagen getting shoved into the dermis, through friction. Whenever skin rubs against itself, the friction causes the growth to come up. That issue causes a single plateau that rises up and causes the overall issue. Again, this is not painful, it’s benign, and doesn’t pose much risk. It’s not recommended to pull, try to pop, or scrape these, however, as it could irritate the skin further and cause problems with the dermis overall.
These growths are sometimes linked to medical issues. For instance, you’ll find that those dealing with insulin resistance, diabetes, steroid use, hormonal shifts, and even allergic reaction could get tag formations across the body. These are not dangerous, but the underlying medical problems will need to be assisted, however.
When To Call A Doctor
The next thing that you should consider is when to call a doctor. There will be a time when you should visit a specialist, such as a dermatologist. You can do this by either going directly to a dermatologist, or getting a referral from a general practitioner. They will be able to assist either way, and they offer several different ways to remove skin tags. The following are the most common options. Call them when you feel changes to tags, see them get irritated, see a cluster form around the pubic region, or they do not go away with holistic methods.
Cryotherapy
Removing warts is often easy with cryotherapy. This is an option that freezes the skin elements and are removed with ease. It is not painful, and doesn’t cause scarring at all. The same can be done with skin tags as well.
Lancing
A doctor will lance the tags with a scalpel. They’ll simply cut them off, and then apply a bandage, that’s it. They do not scar, they rarely bleed, and they do not return in most cases.
Laser Removal
This is not the same as removing a tattoo. This is not painful, but it involves a high-powered laser that will burn the tag right off. It’s fast, easy to work with, and doesn’t hurt. A doctor will do this swiftly, and will help ensure that the skin around the tag doesn’t cause problems.
At the end of the day, there’s no need to worry about tags. However, if you feel that there may be something going wrong, call a professional to get these removed, with ease.