Cosmetic Surgery

Skin Tags

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Skin Tags

Skin tags are harm­less bumps of skin that contain collagen fibres and some­times blood vessels. They can be of varying sizes ranging from a few milli­metres to several centi­metres. Most skin tags are attached to the skin by a narrow stalk, while some are attached by a shorter, wider base.

Skin tags become a problem when they start affecting the self-esteem of the patient, or they become a nuis­ance getting caught in jewellery or clothes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes skin tags? Are skin tags hereditary?

There is no exact cause of skin tags, but gener­ally, you might have someone in the family who suffers from these. The other condi­tions asso­ci­ated with skin tags are Obesity and Diabetes. Pregnancy might cause skin tags to appear due to meta­bolic or hormonal stimulus.

Areas of the skin which are prone to rubbing, like the folds of the neck, armpits, groin, area under the breasts or skin folds, tend to be the sites were skin tags are common, this could be because of the fric­tion in these areas.

Do I have a wart or skin tags?

  • Skin tags have smooth skin, while warts are gener­ally rough, thick texture.
  • Skin tags are not conta­gious and don’t spread like warts spread from one area to the other.
  • Skin tags are gener­ally pain­less, while some warts can be painful.

Are skin tags dangerous or cancerous?

No – skin tags are harm­less and don’t have any risk of cancer.

Can I use toothpaste or nail polish to remove skin tag?

There is a popular belief that products like tooth­paste, hair removal creams, wart creams, nail polish or nail polish remover will get rid of skin tags. None of these work and in some instances can prove dangerous, so please don’t use them.

Can I clip off my skin tag with nail clippers?

Before you consider removing your skin tags by your­self at home, please consult with your GP/Doctor, as some skin tags might have enough blood supply to give rise to bleeding following their removal. If the skin tag is hanging by a narrow stalk, your doctor will advise you to tie it off with a piece of dental floss or cotton string, such that the blood supply to the tag is cut off and the skin tag falls off. You might also try the Cryotag device avail­able at BOOTS, which enables you to apply a very cold temper­ature to the skin tag, in an attempt to freeze them off.

Please don’t use nail clip­pers to remove skin tags as this might be painful and cause bleeding.

What is Cryolysis or Cryotherapy (Cryotag) for skin tags?

Cryolysis or Cryotherapy are tech­niques in which Liquid Nitrogen or Liquid Nitrous Oxide is used to freeze the skin tag and remove it. Cryotag is a freezing device, avail­able at BOOTS phar­macy that might work on skin tags which have a very small stalk.

How can I get rid of my skin tags?

There are two tech­niques that we use to remove Skin Tags at Reforme Medical, Cardiff, UK. Cryotherapy, in this method a spray of liquid Nitrous Oxide is used to freeze and destroy the skin tag stalk, such that the tag falls off in a few days. It is relat­ively pain­less and quick, asso­ci­ated with very few side-effects. Sometimes the treat­ment needs to be repeated if the freezing did not completely get rid of the skin tag.

Radio-surgery, in this method you will be given a small injec­tion of the numbing solu­tion under the base of each skin tag. Once the area is numb, then a special­ised probe called radio-surgery device is used to cut off the skin tag from its base. The method is very safe and rarely gives rise to problems.

Approximate Costs

An accurate estimate of the costs is only possible after an in-clinic consulta­tion with Dr Prashant. We charge a £50 deposit to secure your consulta­tion with Dr Prashant, this amount will be deducted from the costs of the treat­ment you go on to have at our clinic.

We charge the following average prices for RadioFrequency Shave Excision of Skin Tags:

  • Removal of one tag – £225
  • Up to 3 Skin Tags – £265
  • Up to 6 lesions – £305
  • Up to 9 lesions​ – £350
  • Awkward areas prices start at £295 (eyelid)