What are Skin Tags?

‘What is a skin tag?’ is a question that concerns millions of people since nearly every second person has one or more of these tags on his/her body. Appearing mostly in adult life, a skin tag is an abnormal, though benign, growth of skin cells that make a smooth or slightly wrinkled mass on various parts of the body. Skin tags more commonly grow on neck, in or close to the armpits, near the eyelids, in groin folds, and on the upper part of chest (under breasts in women). The right answer to ‘what is a skin tag?’ also includes the size and growth rate of the tag; skin tags start small (less than 1.3cm) and grow very slowly. Dermatologists usually prefer to answer the question ‘what is a skin tag?’ by referring to various kinds of benign skin growths. Skin tags are described as small and soft flaps of skin that have the same (or slightly different) color as that of the surrounding flesh.

Who Gets Skin Tags?

Closely related to the question ‘what is a skin tag?’ is that of the people who are likely to get it. The answer simply is ‘anyone’. At some time in their lives, nearly every second person (or 50% of a population) gets skin tags. While not present at birth, i.e. acquired at some point later in life, skin tags commonly appear in adult life. They are particularly common in middle aged people and tend to increase among older people up to 60 years of age. Among children, especially toddlers, skin tags more commonly appear on the neck and the underarms. People who are overweight are more likely to develop skin tags. In addition, pregnant women usually get more of these growths, mainly due to the elevated levels of certain hormones.

Health Risks of Skin Tags

Now when you have a basic idea of ‘what is a skin tag?’, it is natural to wonder if these prevalent skin growths are precursors of any serious health problem. It’s good to tell you that they are not harmful in any way. Skin tags are completely benign extra bits of skin that don’t even cause the slightest irritation. However, if they are irritated or twisted with hands or some object, then they, like normal skin, may cause discomfort or some pain. It also happens when they get rubbed by clothing or snagged by jewelry items.

Removing Skin Tags

An important topic related to the question ‘what is a skin tag?’ how to remove skin tags. Now one may ask why remove skin tags if they are benign? The obvious reason is that most people having these skin tags want to make their skin look smooth and spotless. Skin tags are thus removed easily by different medical techniques (freezing, burning, and cutting off) but also by a number of home/herbal remedies.