Skin tags are small, benign growths of skin tissue that commonly appear in areas where the skin folds or rubs against itself, such as the neck, armpits, or groin. These soft, flesh-colored lesions are typically harmless and range in size from tiny bumps to several millimeters. While skin tags pose no health risk, many people seek removal for comfort reasons—such as when they snag on clothing or jewelry—or for purely aesthetic concerns. The process of removal should prioritize safety and proper diagnosis, making professional consultation the most appropriate first step.
Assessing Safety and DIY Removal
Attempting to remove a skin tag at home carries significant health risks. Common self-removal methods, such as snipping the tag with scissors or tying it off, can result in complications like excessive bleeding, infection, and permanent scarring. Skin tags contain a fibrovascular core, which can lead to profuse bleeding if improperly severed.
The most serious danger of do-it-yourself removal is the possibility of misdiagnosis. What appears to be a skin tag might actually be a different type of growth, such as a wart, a mole, or, in rare cases, a form of skin cancer like melanoma. Removing a potentially malignant lesion without professional diagnosis delays proper medical treatment. Any skin lesion that bleeds, changes color, or causes pain should be examined by a healthcare provider immediately.
Professional Removal Settings
The choice of healthcare provider depends on the complexity of the tag. Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) are often equipped to handle the removal of small, uncomplicated skin tags during a routine office visit. They can assess the lesion and perform simple excision or freezing techniques.
For multiple tags, tags located in delicate areas like the eyelids, or any growth where the diagnosis is uncertain, a board-certified dermatologist is the best choice. Dermatologists possess expertise in minimizing scarring and ensuring the growth is correctly identified before removal.
Plastic surgeons are typically reserved for cases involving very large skin tags, or when the location requires specialized cosmetic closure to achieve the best aesthetic outcome.
Common Professional Removal Techniques
Healthcare professionals utilize several techniques to remove skin tags. One common method is excision, or snip removal, where the practitioner uses sterile surgical scissors or a scalpel to remove the tag. This technique often involves the injection of a local anesthetic to numb the area, ensuring the process is pain-free.
Cryotherapy involves applying extremely cold liquid nitrogen to the skin tag, which freezes and destroys the tissue. The tag subsequently darkens, shrivels, and falls off within a week or two.
Electrocautery uses a high-frequency electrical current to heat and burn off the tag and seal the blood vessels simultaneously. This process causes rapid drying of the cells. It is effective for very small lesions or to stop minor bleeding after excision.
Cost and Insurance Considerations
The cost of skin tag removal varies based on the number of tags, the removal method chosen, and the practitioner’s fee structure. Whether the procedure is classified as cosmetic or medically necessary heavily influences the final expense. If the removal is purely for aesthetic reasons, it is considered cosmetic, and health insurance providers rarely cover the cost.
However, if a skin tag causes chronic irritation, recurrent infection, pain, or bleeding due to friction from clothing, it may be deemed medically necessary. Insurance may cover the procedure, but the patient should always contact their provider beforehand to confirm coverage details and any requirements for pre-authorization. This prevents unexpected out-of-pocket costs.