A skin tag is usually just a small protrusion from the skin that can be irritated or red if caught in clothing. They can range from less than a quarter of an inch to about a half of an inch or more.
Curious about the causes of skin tags? An article in Medical News Today shares key information about causes and risk factors.
Generally, a skin tag looks like the color of the surrounding skin and are oval or pendulous in shape. Does this resemble what you have?
Typically, these tags appear in the folds of the skin around the neck, where necklaces rub on them, or under the breasts. Sometimes, they appear in the groin area. There is a school of thought that they are related to warts in some people, especially if they are in the groin area.
Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health, points out that skin tags are more common in people who are overweight or have diabetes.
Skin tags versus other small growths: how you can tell the difference
This is the tough thing — sometimes these tags can be confused with a bad growth and sometimes they can look good but be a bad/cancerous skin lesion. If in doubt, it is always best to seek the care of a dermatologist.
Recommendations of Dr. Joel Schlessinger
Generally speaking, skin tags are not going to harm you, but there are some cases where they ought to be removed, especially if they are changing or bleeding. I typically recommend that patients come in if they are constantly hitting items of clothing as that can end up being uncomfortable and can easily be taken care of by skin tag removal.
If you have any questions about a growth, you should seek the care of a dermatologist. Your dermatologist can easily tell you if they are a skin tag or something more serious. Generally speaking, it isn’t a costly procedure to remove them if a growth is truly a skin tag.
What skin tag questions can I answer for you?