Common Causes of Skin Tags and How to Get Rid of Them

Causes of skin tags (Photo by Curology on Unsplash)

Being aware of the causes of skin tags will always work in your favor. It’ll help you understand the source of the symptoms and what you can do to avoid it in the future.

However, before understanding the causes of skin tags, we need to understand what they are.

What are skin tags?

Aging (Photo by Eduardo Barrios on Unsplash)

Skin tags are small growths that appear on your skin, and are also known as acrochordons. Usually, skin tags occur when one part of your skin rubs against another or if there’s friction between your skin and clothes. Some of the most common areas for skin tags are armpits, neck, and groin.

What are the causes of skin tags?

Now that you know what skin tags are, here are some of the common answers for what causes skin tags to suddenly appear.

1) Friction

If there’s excess friction between the two parts of your skin or the skin and clothes, you’ll be more prone to developing skin tags.

2) Obesity

Obesity is one of the primary reasons for skin tags. When an individual is overweight, the friction between skin parts can increase, which results in skin tags.

3) Genetics

While it’s not common among causes of skin tags, it's still believed that genetic makeup can play a certain role in developing skin tags.

4) Aging

Aging leads to the skin becoming loose and sometimes that can lead to skin tags.

It may interest you to know that skin tags do not need treatment and aren’t harmful. Nevertheless, if the skin tag is a sensitive area that is causing discomfort, you should get help with it.

How to prevent skin tags on neck?

Avoid skin tags (Photo by Jernej Graj on Unsplash)

Skin tags can occur at any point, and you need to know the causes of skin tags on the neck to ensure your neck is protected.

Here are some of the following:

Avoid sunburn

Exposing your skin to the sun for a prolonged time can lead to skin tags.

Avoid shaving or waxing

When shaved or waxed, the skin usually withstands some form of irritation. This irritation can be one of the reasons for skin tags.

Keep your skin clean

If you have clean skin, your skin will not be irritated, and that can help with avoiding skin tags.

Apart from the above, the primary causes of skin tags such as friction, obesity, and aging are reasons as well!

How to remove skin tags?

Remove skin tags (Photo by kevin laminto on Unsplash)

Now that you know the causes of skin tags, it’s beneficial to know how to remove them. While it is not harmful, some may want to get them removed. So, there are a few ways to remove skin tags, and you can choose whichever works best for you.

However, most of them involve seeking professional help!

Method 1: Cutting

The idea is to remove the skin tags using a scalpel or scissors and can be performed using local anesthesia.

Method 2: Freezing

Another method is to freeze it using liquid nitrogen. However, the process (known as cryotherapy) shouldn’t be performed by oneself. It’s best to seek professional help.

Method 3: Burning

Healthcare professionals sometimes have access to a device that can burn off skin tags. However, if you’re not comfortable with electricity, it’s better to use other options.

Method 4: Over the counter oils and creams

Sometimes, you don’t need to seek professional help to get rid of skin tags. All you need to do is invest in some creams and oils that will help to shrink the skin tags, and they’ll fall off.

If this method doesn’t work at all, you can opt for other methods that involve seeking professional help for the same. Additionally, you can seek help regarding hormonal imbalances to get rid of skin tags.

Finally, it’s important to remember that skin tags are ultimately attached to you. That being said, if you want to get it removed or treated, it’s best to consult a professional before trying to do anything yourself. This is the best route to avoid scarring or infections.