There’s nothing more irritating than catching a skin tag in jewellery or with your nail when you have an itch.  

If you catch a skin tag it might bleed, it could get infected, sore or swell and then becomes even more annoying, but I bet the damn thing doesn’t fall off!! 

What are skin tags?

Skin tags are small growths on your skin that can look a bit like empty warts.

Small, soft, skin-coloured growths on your skin. They can vary in colour and size – from a few millimetres up to 5cm wide. Skin tags are usually found on the neck, armpits, around the groin or under the breasts. They can also grow on the eyelids or under the folds of the genitals.

Skin tags can be a common side effect of pregnancy and Menopause . This may be due to hormones and weight gain. In rare cases, multiple skin tags can be a sign of a hormone imbalance or an endocrine problem.

If you develop a skin tag, it may not be cause for concern. For most people, skin tags are just a nuisance. If they don’t bother you, and you’re sure of the diagnosis, you can leave them alone. Keep in mind that where you have one skin tag, more may appear.

The main way to identify a skin tag is by the peduncle. Unlike moles and some other skin growths, skin tags hang off the skin by this small stalk.

Most skin tags are tiny, typically smaller than 2 millimeters in size. Some can grow as large as several centimeters. Skin tags are soft to the touch. They may be smooth and round, or they may be wrinkly and asymmetrical. Some skin tags are threadlike and resemble grains of rice.

Skin tags may be flesh-colored. They can also be darker than the surrounding skin due to hyperpigmentation. If a skin tag becomes twisted, it may turn black due to a lack of blood flow.

Skin Tags are not classed as serious, as most people are happy to live with them without concern, so removal is not generally available on the NHS. There are several removal techniques available:

Cryotherapy: Freezing the skin tag with liquid nitrogen.

Surgical removal: Removing the skin tag with scissors or a scalpel.

Cauterisation: Burning off the skin tag with high-frequency electrical energy such as Plasma.

Ligation: Removing the skin tag by tying it off with surgical thread in order to cut off its blood flow.

Some skin tags are stubborn. You may need more than one treatment to get rid of them. If a skin tag is frozen or ligated, it can take a few weeks for it to fall off. In some cases, skin tags will regrow and need to be removed again.

Plasma Skin Tag removal offers an instant, complete and permanent removal solution for each individual skin tag. 

If you’re overweight, losing weight won’t make your existing skin tags go away. It may help reduce your risk of developing more.

If you have a skin growth that bleeds, itches, or changes color, contact your doctor immediately. They’ll need to rule out a serious condition such as skin cancer.