1. Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures
2. Gallery of Skin Problems and Image Collection
3. Childhood Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Dr. Alai is an actively practicing medical and surgical dermatologist in south Orange County, California. She has been a professor of dermatology and family medicine at the University of California, Irvine since 2000. She is U.S. board-certified in dermatology, a 10-year-certified fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Fellow of the American Society of Mohs Surgery.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• What is a skin tag?
• Where do skin tags occur?
• Who tends to get skin tags?
• Will removing a skin tag cause more to grow?
• Is a skin tag a tumor?
• Are skin tags contagious?
• What does a skin tag look like under a microscope?
• What problems do skin tags cause?
• How are skin tags treated?
• Does medical insurance cover skin tag removal?
• Do any creams remove skin tags?
• Should I worry about cutting my skin tag by shaving?
• Do skin tags need to be sent for biopsy?
• Are there vaginal skin tags?
• Can you get skin tags on the penis and scrotum?
• What happens when a skin tag suddenly turns purple or black?
• What else could it be?
• Is there another medical name for a skin tag?
• Skin Tag At A Glance
• Pictures of Adult Skin Problems - Slideshow
• Gallery of Skin Problems Pictures and Images Collection
• Pictures of Child Skin Problems - Slideshow
• Patient Comments: Skin Tag - Symptoms
• Patient Comments: Skin Tag - Removal
• Patient Comments: Skin Tag - Describe Your Experience
• Find a local Dermatologist in your town
• Skin Tag Index

Laboratory preparation of the tissue is required before looking at the skin tag under the microscope. The skin is stained with a stain called hematoxylin and eosin ("H&E"). Under the microscope, there is a colored spherical tissue attached to a small stalk. The purple outer layer (epidermis) overlies a pink core (dermis).

The outer layer of the skin (the epidermis) shows overgrowth of normal skin (hyperplasia), and it encloses an underlying layer of skin (the dermis) in which the normally present collagen fibers appear abnormally loose and swollen. Usually there are no hairs, moles, or other skin structures present in skin tags.

While the majority of skin tags that are removed are discarded into special medical waste containers, sometimes tissue is sent for microscopic exam by a specialist physician known as a pathologist, who will determine the exact diagnosis and determine whether an abnormality such as skin cancer is present. Irregular skin growths that are larger, bleed, or have an unusual presentation may require pathology examination to make sure there are no irregular cells or skin cancers.

Some common skin conditions that can mimic skin tags include seborrheic keratosis, moles, warts, cysts, milia, neurofibromas, and nevus lipomatosus. Rarely, skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma may mimic skin tags.

Except for the cosmetic appearance, skin tags generally cause no physical pain or discomfort. These tiny skin growths generally cause symptoms when they are repeatedly irritated as, for example, by the collar or in the groin. Cosmetic removal for unsightly appearance is perhaps the most common reason they are removed. Occasionally, a tag may require removal because it has become irritated and red from bleeding (hemorrhage) or black from twisting and death of the skin tissue (necrosis). Sometimes, they may become snagged by clothing, jewelry, pets, or seat belts, causing pain or discomfort. Overall, these are very benign growths that have no cancer (malignant) potential.

Occasionally, a tag may spontaneously fall off without any pain or discomfort. This may occur after the tag has twisted on itself at the stalk base, interrupting the blood flow to the tag.