You’re wearing your favorite necklace and it’s showing off the tiny bit of skin you can see through your cleavage. Sound familiar?
Growths usually occur on the skin of the body where the skin rubs against each other, such as the neck, armpits, and groin.
“They don’t discriminate: They affect people of all ages and body types, and can occur anywhere, including the face,” says dermatologist Pamela Ng.
Most of the time, skin tags are unsightly and annoying, but sometimes they are much more. That’s why it’s important to know when you want to see a doctor so you don’t try to remove it yourself.
Dr. Ng explains the risks associated with home treatments and how to remove skin tags during a doctor’s office visit.
Can you safely remove skin tags yourself?
There are so many different ways to get rid of it on the market that you might be tempted to try one at home.
But Dr. Ng recommends leaving skin bag removal to the professionals. Some home remedies, such as apple cider vinegar, can irritate the skin and cause skin ulcers, she said. If you try to cut one, it will only bleed and get infected.
options at home
From at-home hair removal creams to freeze kits. These products may claim to remove skin tags, but it’s important to do your research and talk to your doctor before trying home remedies.
Remove grease and glue
Whether it’s a cream you apply daily (or in some cases several times a day), or a patch you use for a week or more, many options contain herbal extracts that can last for weeks or even longer. They will.
“These treatments can cause severe irritation, redness, burns, and even scarring of the surrounding skin,” warns Dr. Ng.
freezing equipment
These kits, sold as common laxatives, use a combination of nitrous oxide or dimethyl ether, propane, and isobutane to destroy the laxative.
Although these chemicals are not as strong as those used in in-office treatments, they still carry risks. If the solution comes into contact with the skin around the skin tag, it may be damaged.
“Home freezing tools are often not effective,” says Dr. Ng. “They can cause irritation, burns, and skin damage to the surrounding skin.”
tea tree oil
You may have discovered that tea tree oil can treat skin blemishes.
The method involves applying a drop or two of tea tree oil to a cotton ball, then placing the cotton ball on the skin and securing it with a bandage for 10 minutes three times a day.
It may take several weeks for improvement to occur, and tea tree oil can cause skin irritation.
“Tea tree oil is not harmful to the skin, but I doubt it is effective in removing skin tags,” says Dr Ng. “Some people develop allergic dermatitis to tea tree oil.”
apple cider vinegar
A similar idea to tea tree oil is to apply a cotton pad soaked in apple cider vinegar to the skin for 10 minutes three times a day.
Since apple cider vinegar is acidic; It can cause skin irritation or even chemical burns. It also causes skin redness and even ulcers.
“I’ve seen skin ulcers develop after applying apple cider vinegar to the skin,” says Dr. Ng. “It’s ineffective.”
vitamin E oil
Vitamin E is beneficial for skin health. Massaging the sac with vitamin E oil is said to help shrink it within a few days, but there is no research to support this claim.
Like tea tree oil, vitamin E is not harmful to the skin, but some people experience contact dermatitis.
When to see a doctor about skin tag removal
Most of the time, skin tags are just a nuisance.
“If it’s really a skin tag, there’s no problem,” said Dr. Ng. “But if a mole is wrinkly, irritated, or bleeding, that may be a good reason to see a doctor.”
And it’s never a good idea to self-diagnose any skin problem.
“You definitely don’t want to use some of these home remedies for moles or skin cancer,” she says.