The safest way to get rid of a skin tag is to have it removed by a dermatologist or other healthcare provider. Professional removal is quick, usually takes just a few minutes, and offers three reliable options: cutting, freezing, or burning. While the internet is full of DIY remedies, the FDA has not approved any over-the-counter drugs or products for removing skin tags, and home methods carry real risks of infection, scarring, and uncontrolled bleeding.
Why Skin Tags Form
Skin tags are small, soft, flesh-colored growths that hang off the skin by a thin stalk. They tend to appear where skin rubs against skin or clothing: the neck, armpits, under the breasts, groin folds, and eyelids. Friction is one of the main triggers, which is why they’re especially common in people who carry extra weight.
But friction isn’t the whole story. Skin tags are strongly linked to insulin resistance. In one study of 98 patients, having multiple skin tags was associated with insulin resistance regardless of other risk factors. A separate study of 118 people with skin tags found that about 41% had either type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. Researchers believe insulin and insulin-like growth factors may directly stimulate the skin tissue to grow.
Hormonal shifts also play a role. Many women develop skin tags during pregnancy, when estrogen and progesterone levels are elevated. Aging is another factor. Some researchers view skin tags simply as a consequence of getting older, with multiple overlapping causes contributing over time. There’s even evidence that certain strains of HPV (human papillomavirus) were present in a high percentage of skin tag biopsies, suggesting viral infection could be a contributing factor.
Three Professional Removal Methods
A provider can remove a skin tag in a single office visit. The choice of method depends on the size and location of the tag, but all three approaches are straightforward.
Excision (cutting). The provider snips the tag off at its base with sterile scissors or a scalpel. For small tags, this may not even require numbing. For larger ones, a local anesthetic is applied first. Healing typically takes a few weeks.
Cryotherapy (freezing). Liquid nitrogen is applied to the tag using a spray device or cotton swab. The extreme cold destroys the tissue, causing it to blister and peel off over the following days. Healing takes about 10 to 14 days.
Cauterization (burning). An electric current heats a small instrument that burns through the stalk of the tag. This method also seals the wound as it works, which minimizes bleeding. Healing time is roughly one week.
After any of these procedures, aftercare is simple: keep the area clean, avoid picking at it, and let it heal. Scarring is minimal for most people, especially with smaller tags.
Why DIY Removal Is Risky
It’s tempting to snip off a skin tag yourself, but dermatologists consistently advise against it. Skin tags have their own blood supply, and some contain nerves. Cutting one off with scissors at home can cause painful, uncontrolled bleeding and opens the door to infection.
Products marketed online for skin tag removal are another concern. The FDA has sent warning letters to companies selling unapproved removal creams and solutions, cautioning that these products may contain high concentrations of potentially dangerous substances, even when labeled “natural” or “organic.” The risks include chemical burns, permanent scarring, and skin discoloration that looks worse than the original tag.
There’s a subtler danger too. Not every growth that looks like a skin tag actually is one. There have been rare cases where lesions thought to be skin tags turned out to be basal or squamous cell carcinomas. A provider can visually assess the growth and, if anything looks unusual, send it for biopsy after removal. When you treat a lesion at home, you skip that safety net entirely.
How to Tell a Skin Tag From Other Growths
A typical skin tag is soft, flesh-colored or slightly darker, and hangs from the skin on a narrow stalk. It moves freely when you touch it. If a growth doesn’t match that description, it may be something else.
Seborrheic keratoses, for example, are another common benign growth that people sometimes confuse with skin tags. These look quite different: they’re waxy, slightly raised, and appear “pasted on” to the skin rather than dangling from it. They range from light tan to black and often show up on the face, chest, shoulders, or back. They’re harmless but look distinct from skin tags once you know what to look for.
Any growth that changes color, bleeds on its own, grows rapidly, or has an irregular shape deserves a professional evaluation. These features don’t necessarily mean cancer, but they fall outside the normal profile for a skin tag.
Reducing Your Chances of New Skin Tags
Removing a skin tag doesn’t prevent new ones from forming, especially if the underlying causes haven’t changed. The two most effective prevention strategies target the two biggest risk factors: friction and metabolic health.
Losing weight, if you carry excess weight, reduces skin-on-skin friction in the areas where tags most commonly develop. It also improves insulin sensitivity, addressing the metabolic connection. Avoiding clothing and jewelry that chronically rubs against your skin helps too. Necklaces that irritate the neck, bra straps that dig into the shoulders, and tight waistbands are all common culprits.
If you keep developing skin tags in clusters, it may be worth discussing blood sugar screening with your provider. Multiple skin tags have been linked not just to insulin resistance but also to higher cardiovascular risk markers, including abnormal cholesterol levels and elevated inflammation. The tags themselves are harmless, but they can sometimes be an outward signal of metabolic changes happening beneath the surface.