Skin Tag Removal: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Skin tags are often confused with moles, which are another kind of skin deformity, but are very different from each other. Skin tags are small, soft pieces of skin that stick out from the skin. They have thick stems, and are almost always harmless and benign. Skin tags tend to occur on the eyelids, neck, armpits, groin folds, and under breasts.

While skin tags don’t generally require any treatment, many people often choose to have them removed for cosmetic reasons, or because they cause discomfort when they rub against clothing or get caught in jewelry. Skin tags can be removed in a variety of ways, and your doctor will decide how to remove your skin tag. The most common way of removing skin tags is by cutting them off with a scalpel or surgical scissors. Another way of removing skin tags is by using liquid nitrogen. Your doctor will swab or spray a small amount of super-cold liquid nitrogen on your skin tag, following which it will freeze up and fall off on its own. You might have a small blister where the mole or skin tag was, but it will heal on its own.

Additionally, skin tags can also be removed by burning them off. An electric current is passed through a wire which becomes hot, and is then used to burn off the upper layers of the skin, thus successfully removing the skin tag.

Removal of skin tags is not a mandatory process, and they needn’t always be treated. Deciding not to get rid of a skin tag is always a reasonable option if the growths are not bothersome. If the tags are bothersome, multiple home and medical treatment methods are available.

For patients who want to get rid of skin tags by themselves, there are a couple of home remedies available. The skin tag has a very narrow base, which should be tied with string or dental floss, and then pulled off. A more effective way of removing skin tags is via the use of surgical scissors. The advantage of scissor removal is that the growth is immediately removed and there are instant results. The potential disadvantage of any kind of scissor or minor surgical procedure to remove tags is minor bleeding.

Other ways of removing skin tags include burning the skin tag off with a cauterized wire, or even freezing the skin tag off by applying liquid nitrogen to it. Of course, these methods are all done at the health care provider’s office, and cannot be done at home.

Small skin tags can generally be removed without using anesthesia, while larger growths may require some local anesthesia (in the form of injection) prior to removal.

Anyone who has a skin tag can opt for skin tag removal treatments. However, skin tags are generally harmless, so it is not mandatory to get them treated.

Children below the age of 8 are not recommended to go in for skin tag removal treatments.

Skin tag removal has very few side effects. In case the skin tags are removed via surgical scissors, there is always a chance of minor bleeding. Risks of skin tag removal via freezing or burning include skin discoloration, and the need for follow-up treatments.

After going through a skin tag removal treatment, there are certain guidelines that need to be followed to ensure that you don’t get an infection, and that the skin heals up properly. Clean the skin with antibacterial soap and water twice a day. If the skin was closed with sutures, follow your doctor’s aftercare instructions regarding whether you can get your wound wet. Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, as needed. Discomfort following skin tag removal is generally very mild, and does not require any strong medication. If clothing irritates the site where a skin tag has been removed, cover it with a bandage to prevent rubbing and bleeding. Additionally, you can also cover the wound with a thin layer of Vaseline, and wrap a sterile bandage around it.

After the skin tag removal treatment has been done, the fresh wound generally takes around 5-10 days to stop causing any discomfort, and then around 2 to 3 weeks to heal completely.

Skin tag removal is quite a costly treatment, and your doctor may charge you anywhere between Rs. 5000 to Rs. 8000 to remove a single skin tag. In case groups of skin tags have to be removed, the price can shoot up to as much as Rs. 20,000.

Skin tag removal is a permanent treatment. This means that once the skin tag has been removed, there is absolutely no chance of it growing back again.

Since skin tags are benign and harmless, and cause nothing other than annoyance and cosmetic discomfort, it is often advised to just let the skin tags be as they are. Skin tag removal treatment is not mandatory, and the alternative to going in for the treatment is to not just bother with the skin tags.