Skin Tag Removal Choices

Skin tag removal presents a number of choices. Normally, skin tags are removed by a dermatologist or primary care physician in their office. Increasing numbers of people are now choosing a variety of do it yourself skin tag removal techniques.

A skin tag is a very small, generally harmless, growth that looks like a raised or hanging bit of extra skin. These tiny growths are actually a combination of fibers, fat cells, ducts, and nerve cells surrounded by skin and attached to the body by a thin piece or stalk.

They appear in different shapes and flesh colors and may be tiny or large as grapes. Over time about half of all people develop skin tags, particularly in middle age.

It should be noted that skin tags are not symptoms of illness or disease. But because they are unsightly, and can cause discomfort, you might want to consider skin tag removal options.

Skin tags often appear in sensitive skin areas, where skin creases, such as the neck, armpits, eyelids, under the breasts, and groin area. Friction with undergarments and jewelry can irritate the area, causing pain. Careless shaving can also cause tearing and bleeding. Removing a skin tag on your eyelid or near your eye would best be performed by an ophthalmologist to ensure no harm is done to your eye.

Typically, dermatologists and family doctors can perform the following procedures in their offices:

• Cyrotherapy - freezing the skin tag with liquid nitrogen.
• Cauterization - using electric currents to burn off the skin tag.
• Excision - using a scissors or scalpel to cut off the skin tag.

There are a number of home remedies that you can perform in your own home by yourself. Click here for a more comprehensive look at skin tag removal home remedy ideas.

Skin tag removal will not lead to more skin tags other than the ones you would develop anyway. Some people are more prone to developing skin tags than others.

Unusually shaped or large growths should be examined under a microscope by a pathologist to verify it is just a skin tag and to rule out cancer, which in extremely rare cases has been found in some abnormal skin tags.

In most instances, skin tag removal is considered a cosmetic procedure and is therefore not covered by medical insurance plans. That being said, always rule on the side of caution. During your annual visit to the dermatologist, make sure you point out any abnormal skin growths.