What is a skin tag and how does one remove it?

uhh i dont know exactly what it is. Im sure a quick search on wikipedia will tell you though. As far as removal goes, my mom had a few and went to her normal doctor. Its evidently a very simple procedure.

I had one once. I took fingernail clippers to it. I DO NOT SUGGEST THIS! It bleed a long time and hurt really bad. Just go see your doctor. He/she can fix you right up.

Just an extra growth of skin that looks like a tag, hence the name. They usually just freeze them off with liquid nitrogen at the doc’s office. No big deal, usually. Anything unusual on the skin should be checked by a doctor, though. All though it is probably not anything big (such as skin cancer), it is nothing to fool around without, without a professional opinion, as the serious stuff can sometimes get out of hand quickly, when it could have been easy to take care of, if one had acted fast.

When visiting the dermatologist, ask what signs to look for in the future and have him/her check out anything else on your skin. It’s also a good time to ask about recommendations for sun screen, etc. for your particular skin type.

Yeah don’t try to do it yourself. Ouch! I have a mole type thing I pulled off when I was 5, bled like crazy and then grew back.

My father in law has skin tags and is in the process of having them removed a few at a time. He said it’s not bad at all.

Take a look at this article which I excerpted. It has four pages and tells you everything you need to know. From medicine net:

“A skin tag is a common, acquired benign skin growth that looks like a small piece of hanging skin. Skin tags are often described as bits of skin- or flesh-colored tissue that projects from the surrounding skin from a small, narrow stalk. They typically occur in characteristic locations including the neck, underarms, eyelids, and under the breasts (especially where underwire bras rub directly beneath the breasts). Although skin tags may vary somewhat in appearance, they are usually smooth or slightly wrinkled and irregular, flesh-colored or slightly more brown, and hang from the skin by a small stalk. Early or beginning skin tags may be as small as a flattened pinpoint-sized bump around the neck. Some skin tags may be as large as a big grape.”

@Marina I had no idea they could get that big! Wow.

If you sterilize a fingernail clipper and do it yourself, you will be fine. Make sure you treat it like a wound and sterilize the spot that you cut it from afterwards and put some neosporin on it. Skin tags do tend to be bleeders, however getting rid of them really isn’t a big deal. Make sure that you get the very bottom of the stalk to prevent re-growth.

Like ava said, cut it right at the bottom. I took one off myself once. At the risk of TMI, it’s location required the use of my camcorder hook up to the TV so I could see what I was doing! And I thought, if I was going to go to such lengths, I might as well tape the deed. Yeah, they bleed like a stuck pig so have a bandaid handy!

Whenever I consider self surgery, I just ask myself: “Well, what if I got in a knife fight and it got cut off? Would I die?” (if no, you can do it yourself)

Disclaimer: I’m not a Dr. I just play one on Fluther.

We remove skin tags in our derm office all the time. They are caused by rubbing of skin to skin (armpits, under breasts, thighs, etc). You can have them removed, but more will most likely return. They are usually considered cosmetic, so insurance won’t cover unless they are very irriated. We cut them off at the base with special scissors that get right next to the skin. They will bleed alot, so be prepared. We use a solution to stop the bleeding, but as long as the tags are tiny it shouldn’t be a problem. We do send them to the lab for biopsy to make sure they are truly tags.

Tie some cotton or fishing line tight around the base of the tag,the tag itself will then be starved of a blood supply which inturn will kill the cells,then it turns black and falls off.
No blood no pain.Hope this helps.

I use a brand new razor after carefully cleaning the skin, first with soap and water and then rubbing alcohol. It bleeds and I use alcohol with some pressuren and then antibacterial cream with a bandaid if possible. Change a few times a day. None has returned. For the much flatter skin bumps on my face, I use retin A for a few weeks.
(I see the dermatologist once a year to be sure I do not have skin cancer, but do not pay her to have these removed.)

I used to get those in my armpits, they always went away on their own though. Unless you’ve had yours a long time you might just give it a little time.