From meaning to causes, here's everything about skin tags
Skin tags can show up anywhere on the body. A small, bulb-like, hanging skin that may feature a stalk or peduncle, skin tags are very common and affect both men and women. Although not threatening, people do get them treated or removed for aesthetic or cosmetic purposes. From its meaning to its causes, here's everything you should know about this skin condition.
Here's what our expert says
Skin tags are small benign outgrowths of the skin in creased areas of the body. These are harmless but can be a reason for cosmetic deformity. Skin tags should be examined by a skin specialist if they suddenly start to increase in size or number, become firm to hard on touch, crack, itch or bleed, to rule out infection or rarely malignant changes.
Skin tags are harmless tumors of the skin
Skin tags are non-cancerous tumors of the skin that consist of nerve cells, fat cells, or fibers. They can often go unnoticed unless they grow at a prominent part of the body. Although they can show up anywhere, the most common places of their growth include eyelids, chest, armpits, breast area, neck, or groin. They are smooth, irregular, and flesh-colored.
They occur when cells grow on the skin's top layer
Skin tags occur when cells of a particular region grow on the top layer of the skin. Additionally, they grow when the skin rubs or falls against itself, which is why it's a pretty common condition especially in those overweight or with more skin folds. They are generally painless, however, they may cause a little pain or irritation when in contact with clothing.
Pregnant women, diabetics, and old people are more vulnerable
Also called cutaneous papilloma, cutaneous tag, or acrochordon, skin tags can affect both men and women in equal measure. However, it has been found that people down with type-2 diabetes or those who are overweight are more vulnerable to it. Pregnant women, people with sex-steroid imbalance, and those suffering from human papillomavirus (HPV) can also experience skin tags anywhere on the body.
Some disappear naturally while others are removed surgically
Most skin tags drop off naturally over the course of time. However, those which don't, have to be removed surgically. Your doctor may cut them off with surgical scissors or use a scalpel to do so. They can also be removed by being frozen with liquid nitrogen in certain cases. In other instances, they are also eliminated by being burnt with electrical energy.
