Skin tags: what are they, causes and how to eliminate them

Skin tags are called by different names as flesh moles, skin tags, or soft fibroids.

They are small, soft, benign bumps that are the same color as skin or a little darker than skin. These lesions do not increase in size, they can appear in areas of the body where the skin has the peculiarity of forming folds, such as the forearms, armpits, neck , eyelids, groin, among others. In some of these areas, they are usually uncomfortable due to rubbing, trauma or twisting, which can cause bleeding.

The causes of skin tags are not yet clear, however they are thought to be related to factors such as the following:

• The age: in middle age, presence of Acrochordons shown.
• Pregnancy: women are more likely to present these lesions during the gestational stage due to the hormonal changes they experience.
• People with type 2 diabetes: these are more prone to the appearance of these skin lesions. This is due to increased insulin production.
• Overweight or Obesity: Due to skin-to-skin rubbing, overweight people often experience continuous irritation in some areas of their body.
• Irritation or friction: this can occur in areas of the body where friction can allow the appearance of lesions.

The Acrochordons have some characteristics very particular that differentiate them from other injuries:

• They are small lesions that do not increase in size.
• They have the peculiarity that they appear in areas of the body where there are skin folds.
• They are benign.
• They appear due to an abnormal development of the skin, unlike warts, which are due to the presence of a virus.
• They are soft and non-contagious lesions.

Skin tags are considered an aesthetic problem because they disfigure the areas of the skin where they are found, so their removal has increased in recent years, their removal is not necessary if they do not cause any alteration.

For this, it is important to go to the medical consultation of the skin specialist, the dermatologist. After consultation and physical examination, he will visualize the existing lesions to indicate the treatment to follow.

The treatment of skin tags may include some of the following techniques Depending on the status and location of lesions:

• Freezing the lesion or cryotherapy: Through this technique, the skin tags are frozen by the application of liquid nitrogen. After a few days, the lesions peel off.
• Electrosurgery: With this technique, an electric scalpel is used to cut and burn the skin tags. For its application, the use of local anesthesia is necessary.
• Surgery: removing skin tags with surgery is a procedure that is performed on those large meat moles, so after their extraction, some stitches and local anesthesia are required.

After skin tag removal, it is important to take steps such as:

• Avoid exposure to the sun to avoid changes in skin color.
• Keep in mind that skin tags are not warts, so you should not apply the treatments used to remove warts on them.

Here are some natural remedies that can help treat skin tags, but in no case will they work as a substitute for medical treatment.

• Iodine: it is a widely used home remedy, since it has the particularity of promoting cell death in a natural way, thus eliminating the lesions present on the skin. To use iodine, you must clean the area where it will be applied; one drop is enough, it is applied at night and covered with gauze. It is necessary to apply it daily for 1 to 2 weeks.
• Apple cider vinegar: one of the components of apple cider vinegar is acetic acid, used very effectively in the elimination of skin tags. It has excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties. A cotton pad should be impregnated with apple cider vinegar and applied to the flesh mole, leaving it to act for about 20 minutes. This can be repeated daily until the injury is eliminated.
• Oregano oil: it is used to treat skin lesions, it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be accompanied by other vegetable oils, such as almond, to enhance its properties. It is placed 3 times a day on the affected area for a period of 2 weeks.
• Tea tree oil : this plant has excellent antiseptic properties and soothes damaged skin. A few drops of this oil are applied to a cotton ball, then it is important to leave it on for about 15 minutes. The procedure can be repeated during the day 2 to 3 times until the lesion detaches.

Do not hesitate to go to your trusted doctor in the presence of skin tags, he will indicate the best treatment for you according to the type of injury you present.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Skin tags: what they are, causes and how to eliminate them , we recommend that you enter our Skin, hair and nails category .