Acrochordons - Skin Tags

What is a Skin Tag?

Skin tags, or acrochordons, are a benign type of common skin growth. They look like hanging skin and can occur in many areas of the body, most notably the underarms, eyelids and under the breasts. They vary in size and shape, but usually hang from the skin on a stalk. The biggest skin tags can be the size of a grape, though they are usually very small and may start out only as a small bump. Almost half of the population is reported to have skin tags, and they are usually found on healthy people.

Problems Resulting From Skin Tags

Skin tags do not usually cause any problems, unless they become irritated in certain areas such as the groin. The most common problem is the appearance which is why some people opt for cosmetic removal. Sometimes skin tags may also need to be removed due to bleeding in the tag, and they may also spontaneously fall off if the blood flow is cut off due to the tag being twisted.

If they need to be removed this is usually done by freezing, burning or using scissors. Usually no anesthesia is required though in the case of scissors there may be some small bleeding afterwards. Sometimes tags grow back, but some people are more prone to this than others and there is no evidence to show that the removal of a tag causes another to grow back.

Other Conditions

There are other growths that may look similar to skin tags. These include moles and warts. Warts are usually rougher and skin tags usually have a smooth appearance. Warts are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV), whereas this only accounts for a small amount of skin tags. Tags in the genital area could also be genital warts or condyloma. In rare cases melanoma or squamous cancer may mimic a skin tag.