Skin tags can prove to be embarrassing for men and women especially as they are common on the face and other parts of the body that is easily visible to others. They are most problematic when applying make-up, shaving or if present on other parts of body they can be catching on clothing. Skin tags are benign, harmless and painless but at the same time they are irritating and embarrassing
There are many different types of treatments to get rid of skin tag however they can easily be removed with a simple surgical procedure that takes about twenty minutes. It is best to opt for treatment after careful examination by dermatology exports. The ways of getting rid of skin tags include excision, surgery, ligation, laser therapy or home remedies. There are various minor procedures available to get rid of skin tags. The methods of removal available are cryotherapy, curettage and cautery, shave biopsy and skin biopsy.
Cryotherapy is a well known procedure used to treat several types of skin lesions including skin tags. The procedure includes freezing the skin with liquid nitrogen or a cryprobe. The drawback of cryotherapy is that it is followed by swelling and sometimes blisters as well. The skin usually heals unevenly sometimes leaving a permanent scar at the treatment site. Sometimes there is temporary pigmentation that can also be permanent but in rare cases with a small risk of infection. A skin biopsy is a methodology that involves removing a small piece of skin that has the skin tag which is sent for histology testing for confirmation of the diagnosis. Once it is accurately diagnosed, it is then injected by a local anesthesia to numb the skin before the biopsy is performed. The wound maybe stitched or in some cases left to heal from the edges. Stitches are removed in the Clinic 5-10 days later depending on the body site. The drawback of under going a biopsy is that there may be temporary or in rare cases, permanent pigmentation. Also a small risk of wound infection is involved after the procedure. There will be a permanent scar at the biopsy site.
Curettage and cautery is a procedure where in curettage involves scraping a lesion from the skin surface followed by sealing of small blood vessels in the wound that is called as cautery. A local anesthesia is injected to lose the sensitivity of the skin before the procedure. The wound is superficial and left to heal spontaneously, stitches are not necessary unlike biopsy that requires stitches. There is a small risk of temporary pigmentation changes that can also be permanent and infection. Ligation involves tying the skin tag tightly by a thread that is sharp. This is left for few days and the skin tag eventually falls of. All the treatments for skin tag removal are followed by mild swelling and redness that subsides within two days. Surgery is the easiest way to get rid of skin tag. But skin tags have the tendency to come back as the reason for its occurrence is not known.
