A skin tag is a very common, painless, benign growth which consists of a bit of skin that projects from the surrounding skin by a stalk and may appear attached to the skin. Although it is irritating but skin tags are harmless. Skin tags can vary in appearance. They may be smooth, rough or irregular, flesh colored, pinkish or more deeply pigmented, and either simply be raised above the surrounding skin or have a stalk or a peduncle so that the skin tag hangs from the skin. The size also varies from person to person and also varies from location to location. There is no defined size of a skin tag. Skin tags can occur almost anywhere on the skin but are frequently found on the skin folds of eyelids, neck, upper chest, armpits and groin.
Skin tags are not age or sex specific. They can occur at any age and to both men and women however they are much more common in middle aged people and the prevalence of skin tags is more in women than men. As it is not a malignant condition, the treatment is up to an individual. They can go for the removal or excision of skin tag or at times leave it as it is. The only concern is when it is present at a position where in it gets irritated by rubbing, make up or shaving. If it is not irritating then people are fine with skin tags but they can be embarrassing and can lead to decrease in self confidence when it comes to appearance. The skin tag in the form of the growth generally causes no symptoms unless it is repeatedly irritated as, for example, by the collar or in the crotch. Skin tags symptoms are not very visible before hand or one cannot come to know that a skin tag is about to arise. Skin tags occur without any prior symptoms and can be diagnosed only when they are visibly seen or felt. A skin tag present at the anus is due to a condition called anal fissure. An anal fissure is a small cut at the anus, and results from hard stools. During healing the anal skin tends to become uneven, and results in the formation of a skin tag.
The main cause of the skin tag occurrence is unknown however skin tags occur due to the rapid growth of skin that can be caused by pregnancy. They often occur where your skin rubs causing friction against your clothing such as under a bra, or where your skin rubs together, which can happen with obese people that put on weight. Treatments for skin tag include freezing by cryotherapy or cutting off by ligation or excision, surgery and several home made preparations that prove to be useful in treating skin tag. The best thing about skin tag that occur sue to pregnancy is that they usually disappear after pregnancy. Several mild symptoms like swelling or redness are visible after treatment but subside after 48 hours.
