Mole or Skin Tag Removal: Are There Any Risks? Can You Do It Yourself?

When a little flap of loose skin, such as skin tags, develops on your body, it could be annoying. That's especially if it gets caught on clothing or jewelry or if it grows in an area where others can see it.

You might schedule an appointment to have it removed or purchase Amada Pure Mole Corrector & Skin Tag Remover and Repair Lotion Set. Some resort to getting rid of that skin tag using a substance you already have on hand, such as toothpaste.

Health professionals said people should keep in mind that other home treatments should be used with caution before you slather a minty mound of toothpaste on the problematic region. Here's is why.

(Photo: FRED TANNEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
A dermatologist checks moles on a patient on May 22, 2019, in Quimper, western France.

What is Skin Tag?

According to Harvard Medical School, skin tags are benign skin growths that dangle from the skin's surface on a tiny piece of tissue called a stalk. They are made up of various components, including fat, collagen fibers, nerve cells, and tiny blood arteries in some instances. These collagen fibers and blood arteries may become entangled within a layer of skin, resulting in the development of a skin tag. Acrochordon is the medical word for a skin tag, which is also known as soft fibromas or fibroepithelial polyps.

Skin tags are commonly found on the neck, underarms, beneath the breasts, eyelids, and other skin creases where there is contact. They appear as tiny, flesh-colored pimples at first. They may remain small and undetected, expand and remain painless, or enlarge and become irritating as a result of friction or pressure.

It's unclear what produces skin tags, and there are no established methods for avoiding them. Skin tags are more prevalent in persons with diabetes or who are overweight, according to "Association Between Acrochordons and the Components of Metabolic Syndrome." Due to hormonal changes in the body, pregnancy may also increase the number of skin tags.

It is not necessary to eliminate skin tags, Harvard Medical School said. They aren't dangerous and won't become so in the future. Some people, however, find them unattractive and want to have them removed. Skin tag removal can be performed using a variety of techniques. Cryotherapy is a procedure in which a clinician, generally a dermatologist, uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the skin tag. Another alternative is electrocautery, which involves burning the skin tag with an electric probe or needle. For bigger skin tags, snipping or excision with scissors or a scalpel may be a preferable alternative. Skin tag removal is typically not reimbursed by insurance since it is deemed cosmetic.

You Shouldn't Remove a Skin Tag at Home, Here's Why

Some individuals try to remove skin tags with scissors or nail clippers at home, but this may rapidly go wrong. Even removing skin tags with an over-the-counter medication isn't ideal. WeDerm explains why it's a good idea to leave skin tag removal to the pros.

Are You Sure It's Skin Tag?

A skin tag that you believe is a wart or a skin cancer like melanoma might be something else completely in rare circumstances. That's why, before you decide to remove a growth, you should get it examined by a dermatologist. When you remove a bulge that turns out to be a skin cancer, you risk leaving cancer cells behind, which can proliferate and spread.

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A skin tag can also be a symptom of an endocrine or hormonal disorder such as acromegaly or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). If the dermatologist detects an underlying disease, the skin tag may be sent to a laboratory for additional investigation.

It May Cause Bleeding, Infection, or Discomfort

Cutting out a skin tag with scissors might result in infection or uncontrolled bleeding, necessitating a trip to the emergency room. (If not cauterized or frozen by a professional, a big skin tag might bleed a lot.) It can also hurt a lot.

Some individuals use an over-the-counter ligation device, dental floss, buy Amada Pure Mole Corrector & Skin Tag Remover and Repair Lotion Set or anything else to tie off skin tags and then wait for them to fall out. This may help, but you risk getting a foul odor from the skin tag decomposing, as well as an infection.

Home treatments like apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil are popular, at least on the internet. Don't expect to achieve the desired outcomes if you go that path; there's little proof that these methods work. And, in the case of tea tree oil, they may produce irritation or an allergic response.

RELATED ARTICLE: Skin Tags: When to Know It's Time to Remove Them and What Type of Skin Tag Remover is Needed

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