Skin Tags
What are skin tags?
These are benign or non cancerous growths of the skin which commonly appear as small pieces of hanging skin. They can grow to a large size. The skin of the tag is commonly wrinkled on close inspection and can be either the same colour as the surrounding skin or slightly darker.
Who often gets them?
Any person can get a skin tag Common sites of occurrence include the neck, armpits, under the breasts, groins, eyelids. You may want to have them removed because it is unsightly or because it itches or catches on clothing or while shaving.
What treatment?
They can easily be removed by minor surgery. The base is snipped off with a pair of incisors.
This can also be removed by freezing the base (cryotherapy) or burning it off (electrocautery) with a small probe that administers heat to the base.
What anaesthesia?
It is possible to remove the very small skin tags without anaesthesia because the pain of the injection may be worse than that of snipping it off with a pair of scissors.
This can be performed under local anaesthesia by giving a small injection which makes the base numb.
This can be performed under local anaesthesia by giving a small injection which makes the base numb.
Time off work?
Usually no time is required off work except to have the procedure which is done as an out patient or day case procedure.
What problems?
Usually there are no problems leaving barely perceptible scars.