Do you have an unappealing growth like a tag on your body? Are these skin growths lowering your self-esteem?
Although skin tags are painless, these skin growths hang from the surface of the skin and made of components such as fat, collagen fibers, and sometimes nerve cells and small blood vessels. Skin tags are commonly found in areas of friction on the skin, such as around the neck, under the eyes, underarms, and other skin folds. These may stay the same size and go largely unnoticed, or enlarge and become irritating due to friction or pressure.
If the skin tags are preventing you from having flawless skin, you can readily get them removed. Dermatologists and skincare associates perform safe and effective skin tag removal treatments.
How are skin tags removed?
Even though skin tags do not hurt or bother you in most cases, you may opt to have them removed.
Your doctor may remove your skin tags by using various skin tag removal equipment performing the following methods:
- Cryotherapy: Removing the skin tag with liquid nitrogen.
- Surgical removal: Using scissors or a scalpel to remove the skin tag.
- Electrosurgery: Burning the skin tag off with high-frequency electrical energy.
- Ligation: Tying the skin tag off with surgical thread in order to cut off its blood flow.
It is not a good idea to remove skin tags on your own as it may cause bleeding, burns, and infection. Hence, it is best to let your doctor handle the issue. Having small skin tags removed is not a harsh procedure and doesn’t usually require anesthesia. Your dermatologist may use local anesthesia when removing large or multiple skin tags.
There are many known natural remedies to remove skin tags using tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these remedies.
What are the procedures of skin tag removal?
Cutting it off
Skin tags can be snipped off with a scalpel or surgical scissors and some moles can also be shaved off with the skin. Some moles have cells that go underneath the skin, hence your doctor might make a deeper cut to remove the entire mole to prevent it from growing back. This procedure may or may not require stitches.
Freezing with liquid nitrogen
Doctors swab or spray a little super-cold liquid nitrogen on the mole or skin tag. A small blister may appear where the mole or skin tag was, but it will heal with time.
Burning it off
An electric current passes through a hot wire that burns off the upper layers of the skin. You may require more than one session to remove a mole completely. The heated wire helps prevent bleeding. This process can be hurtful but the professional skin tag removal team makes sure to numb the area with an anesthetic before he or she begins. Afterward, the doctor applies a medicine that helps stop the bleeding preventing any after scars or marks.
Final Thoughts
Developing a skin tag may not be a cause of concern and can be left untouched. However, you must know that there are chances of more occurrence of these. If the abnormal skin growth bleeds, itches, or changes color, you must contact your doctor immediately.