Skin tags tend to be small growths of skin that start to hang off. It is thought that they are the result of a virus. They may be the same skin tone or slightly darker in color that the rest of the skin. Usually these tags are not dangerous to your health, but many people find them unsightly to look at. They can also hurt if they are in places where you shave regularly and scrape them during shaving. If skin tags are a problem, follow these steps and with patience you can get rid of skin tags.
- Have your skin checked by a dermatologist. Before you start treating skin tags, have a doctor look at them. He or she will check for discoloration and any abnormalities. The doctor will also confirm which are skin tags and which (if any) are moles or other concerns.
- Tie it off. Using a small piece of thread, tie a tight knot around the base of the tag where it meets your skin. Tie the knot tight enough that the thread stays on in the shower. After three or four days you should notice that the skin tag is turning colors and drying up because the knot you tied is cutting of blood supply to that area. Tighten the knot if possible. After a few days more, the tag and the thread should fall off.
- Consider over-the-counter medications. There are several over-the-counter medications for removing skin tags. Some contain hydrogen peroxide and others contain anti-viral medications that dry the tag out and cause it to fall off the skin.
- Have them cut off. One easy way to remove skin tags is by cutting them off with scissors or a scalpel. This can be done at home but the tag will bleed quite a lot and you face a risk of infection, especially if the scissors aren’t sterilized.
- Try a topical oil.Tea tree oil is an option for drying out a skin tag for removal. Dab some oil on the tag four or five times each day. Let the oil dry before putting clothes on over the skin tag. Repeat until the skin tag is gone. This could take five days to two weeks.
- Try letting your doctor freeze them off. Freezing is also called cryosurgery. It is a quick and mostly painless procedure that your doctor can perform in his office in just a few minutes.
If skin tags annoy you or get in your way, there are some simple ways to get rid of them. Follow these steps and you can either remove them yourself of have your dermatologist handle the effort.
By Marc Alexander
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stop in to the Golden Goat to pick up a small roller bottle of tea tree oil to try this yourself. It generally takes one to two weeks of daily treatments to eliminate the tags, depending on size.
