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.

View Full Profile

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.

View Full Profile

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

It is important to keep in mind that skin tags usually do not have to be treated. Deciding not to have treatment is always a reasonable option if the growths are not bothersome. If the tags are bothersome, multiple home and medical treatment options are available:

• Tie off tag at narrow base with a piece of dental floss or string.



• Freeze tag with liquid nitrogen.



• Burn tag using electric cautery or Hyfrecator.



• Remove tag with scissors, with or without anesthetic.

There are several effective medical ways to remove a skin tag, including removing with scissors, freezing (using liquid nitrogen), and burning (using medical electric cautery at the physician's office).

Usually small tags may be removed easily without anesthesia, while larger growths may require some local anesthesia (injected lidocaine) prior to removal. Application of a topical anesthesia cream (Betacaine cream or LMX 5% cream) prior to the procedure may be desirable in areas where there are a large number of tags.

Dermatologists (skin specialist doctors), family physicians, and internal medicine physicians are the doctors who treat skin tags most often. Occasionally, an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) is needed to remove tags very close to the eyelid margin.

There are also home remedies and self-treatments, including tying off the small tag stalk with a piece of thread or dental floss and allowing the tag to fall off over several days.

The advantage of scissor removal is that the growth is immediately removed and there are instant results. The potential disadvantage of any kind of scissor or minor surgical procedure to remove tags is minor bleeding.

Possible risks with freezing or burning include temporary skin discoloration, need for repeat treatment(s), and failure for the tag to fall off.

There is no evidence that removing tags causes more tags to grow. Rather, there are some people who may be more prone to developing skin tags and may have new growths periodically. Some patients even require periodic removal of tags at annual or quarterly intervals.