What Do You Know About Skin Tags?

skin tagsAging brings with it many things to deal with…among those are the little flaps of skin on your neck or under your arms. They are acquired, flesh-colored, non-cancerous growths with the scientific name of acrochordons.

You may call them “skin tags” or “barnacles,” but whatever you call them, if you have them, you are not alone. Half of the population of the U.S. will have a skin tag at some point in their life. Obesity and aging are commonly associated with skin tag development. They can vary in number from one to hundreds and men and women, alike, are equally prone to developing skin tags. Early on, skin tags may be as small as a pin-head but some may become as large as a big grape.

Skin tags are commonly found:

  • At the base of the neck
  • Under the breast
  • In the groin and buttocks folds
  • Under the arms
  • On the eyelids

Some other skin tag factoids:

  • There is no strong evidence to suggest that common skin tags are contagious. Most likely, people do not catch them from anyone and do not transmit them to anyone.
  • Some people are prone to developing skin tags and may have new growths periodically which require yearly or quarterly removal.
  • Skin tags do not “seed” or spread if they are removed.
  • Skin tags are essentially harmless and do not have to be treated unless they are bothersome.
  • Tags are typically thought to occur where skin rubs against itself or clothing.
  • Elevations in hormone levels may cause an increase in skin tags as skin tags are more frequent in pregnant women.
  • Tags can be easily removed by a doctor or a dermatologist.
  • There is no evidence that removing a skin tag will cause more tags to grow.
  • Even though their appearance is not appealing, skin tags generally cause no physical
  • Treatments include freezing, tying off with a suture or thread or simply cutting off the skin tag (but don’t try this at home).

At DeLaine Anti-Aging, we offer several effective means of safely removing skin tags.

Call for an appointment, today!