What is skin tag removal?

Skin tags are small, soft pieces of skin that stick out on a stem. They are often the same color as your skin. They often grow on the eyelids, neck, armpit, and groin. Skin tags are not moles and usually do not turn into cancer.

You are more likely to get skin tags if you are overweight. They also tend to run in families.

Skin tags may be removed if they bother you. Your doctor can remove an unwanted skin tag by simply cutting it off. However, new skin tags often form.

Most skin tags don't need to be treated. But sometimes people want to have them removed because they don't like how the skin tags look or because their skin tags cause discomfort. This can happen when skin tags rub against clothing or get caught in jewelry.

Your doctor may remove a skin tag in any of these ways:

• Cutting it off. Skin tags may be removed with a scalpel or surgical scissors.
• Freezing it with liquid nitrogen. Your doctor will swab or spray a small amount of super-cold liquid nitrogen on the skin tag. You might have a small blister where the skin tag was, but it will heal on its own.
• Burning it off. An electric current passes through a wire that becomes hot. The wire is used to burn through the narrow stem that attaches the skin tag to the skin. The heat helps prevent bleeding.

The procedure may hurt a little, but your doctor will numb the area with an anesthetic before starting the procedure. If the procedure causes any bleeding, your doctor may apply a medicine that helps stop the bleeding. Then the doctor will put a bandage on the area. These procedures may leave scars or marks.