Acrochordons, commonly known as skin tags, are benign skin growths that affect nearly half of all adults at some point in their lives. They are generally harmless, but their presence often prompts people to seek removal. While the desire to eliminate an irritating or unsightly growth is understandable, attempting at-home removal methods carries significant health risks. This article provides guidance on skin tag characteristics and prioritizes safe, medically sound procedures for their management.
Understanding Skin Tags: Causes and Characteristics
Skin tags are small, non-cancerous growths composed of collagen fibers and blood vessels surrounded by a layer of epidermis. These flesh-colored or slightly darker growths often hang off the skin by a slender stalk (pedunculated). Most skin tags are quite small, typically measuring between one and five millimeters, though some can grow larger.
They tend to develop in areas where skin folds rub against each other, leading to friction and irritation. Common locations include the neck, armpits, groin, under the breasts, and on the eyelids. Factors that increase the likelihood of developing acrochordons include genetics, advancing age, and being overweight or living with obesity. Skin tags are also associated with conditions involving insulin resistance, such as type 2 diabetes, and hormonal changes during pregnancy.
The Significant Risks of Attempting Self-Excision
Attempting to cut off a skin tag at home with non-sterile instruments like scissors or nail clippers introduces serious complications. Its stalk contains tiny blood vessels and sometimes small nerves. Severing the growth can lead to uncontrolled or excessive bleeding, which may be difficult to stop without professional medical intervention.
The biggest danger of using non-sterile tools is the risk of introducing bacterial pathogens into the open wound. This can result in a skin infection, which often requires prescription antibiotics and sometimes more extensive medical treatment. Self-removal attempts frequently cause damage to the surrounding healthy skin tissue, which can result in permanent scarring. Trying to remove a growth without proper diagnosis also carries the risk of misidentifying a more serious lesion, such as a mole or an early-stage skin cancer.
Medically Approved Removal Options
When removal is desired for cosmetic reasons or because the tag is frequently irritated, licensed practitioners use several safe, established techniques.
Excision
Excision involves the professional using sterile surgical scissors or a scalpel to snip the tag at its base. This procedure is quick, and a local anesthetic is often used to minimize discomfort, particularly for larger growths.
Cryotherapy
Another effective option is cryotherapy, which involves freezing the skin tag using liquid nitrogen. The extreme cold destroys the tissue, causing the tag to blister and eventually fall off within a week or two.
Electrosurgery
For smaller lesions, electrosurgery (also known as electrocautery or hyfrecation) uses a controlled electrical current to burn the growth off, simultaneously sealing the blood vessels to prevent bleeding.
Some over-the-counter products are available for at-home use. These typically employ a cryotherapy method, similar to the medical procedure but with less potent freezing agents. However, these products should only be used after a medical professional has confirmed that the growth is a benign skin tag.
When Skin Tags Require Professional Diagnosis
It is always prudent to have any new or changing skin growth assessed by a medical professional. Consultation is necessary if a lesion that resembles a skin tag begins to change rapidly in size, color, or texture. These changes can be warning signs that the growth may not be a simple acrochordon.
Other concerning signs that warrant prompt medical attention include any growth that becomes painful, inflamed, or bleeds spontaneously without injury. Growths located in sensitive areas, such as the eyelids or genital region, should only be examined and treated by a specialized practitioner. Seeking a professional diagnosis ensures that conditions like warts, moles, or even certain types of skin cancer are correctly identified and appropriately managed.