Skin tags

WHAT CAUSES SKIN TAGS?

Both men and women experience skin tags, with neither sex having a higher prevalence. However, the incidence does increase with age. As such, the older you are, the more likely you are to have a skin tag.

Interestingly, they are more likely to occur during pregnancy. This may suggest that sudden hormonal fluctuations play a role. Similarly, you are more likely to develop them if you have a condition such as Type II Diabetes. Metabolically, Type II Diabetes has an adverse effect on your hormones, especially if you don’t control it well. Similarly, obesity increases your risk of developing one.

There is some evidence to suggest that skin tags are more likely to appear if your clothes cause chafing. For example, if you wear clothes that are too tight, or if your clothes don’t act as a barrier between areas of skin that are likely to chafe. One theory behind this is that as skin tags form a mixture of disrupted collagen and new blood vessels, building to support their presence, they’re more likely to occur in areas of pressure. Such areas can include:

• The neck
• The armpits
• The groin
• Or anywhere else where skin has an opportunity to rub up against more skin

There is also a suggestion that Human Papillomavirus/HPV increases your risk. HPV is the same virus that can lead to genital warts and some types of cancer. However, there are dozens of HPV types, which means you still shouldn’t worry that having skin tags means you are at risk of something more sinister.

Finally, if you are insulin resistant in any way, your risk increases too. In addition to those with diabetes, there are other metabolic syndromes, gestational diabetes, and pre-diabetic states. All of this suggests that controlling your blood sugar levels may reduce the prevalence of skin tags.

PREVENTING SKIN TAGS

TREATING SKIN TAGS

Before you proceed with a skin tag treatment plan, you need a medical professional to make sure you are not confusing yours with other conditions. For example, there are certain types of warts called Filiform Warts that look like skin tags, but will feel a lot firmer on palpation.

Similarly, some children go through phases of developing growths called molluscum contagiosum. As the name suggests, they are contagious, but not dangerous. Children tend to share them amongst each other, but some adults can catch them too.

Minor surgery for skin tags

Depending on the size and appearance of your skin tag, your doctor may opt for a ligature that causes it to die and fall off. Or, they can cut it off using surgical scissors. The route they choose will depend on whether they feel as though your skin tag contains lots of small blood vessels. While none of them has the potential to cause a significant bleed that will send you into haemorrhagic shock, some will act as an entry for infection once they are left open.

If your doctor does choose to cut your skin tag away using scissors, they will do so in a sterile environment. This means that they prepare the area around the skin tag to free it from bacteria and use the right protective equipment. Similarly, they will apply dressings and provide aftercare advice that allows you to keep the area clean and free from infection.

Another option is for your doctor to use a ligature. This merely involves tying the skin tag at the base, cutting off the blood supply, and waiting for it to die and fall away. While it may sound as though you can do this alone at home, it’s advisable to avoid doing so. Without the right approach, skin tag ligatures can cause necrosis. Although it is rare for the necrosing skin to spread to other areas, the risk is still there. As such, you should seek advice from a medically qualified doctor who will provide a thorough assessment to ensure you are safe.

Larger skin tags may require a local anaesthetic, followed by a procedure called ‘shave and cautery.’ As the name suggests, this involves shaving away the area of skin affected and cauterising it so that a skin tag does not reappear. As a local anaesthetic is a prescription drug, this is a procedure that only a doctor or an advanced trained practitioner such as a nurse or surgical assistant can perform.