Skin tags are harmless growths on your skin.
Skin tags are small growths on your skin that can look a bit like warts.
If they're bothering you, you can have skin tags removed by cutting, burning or freezing them. You'll usually have to pay for this privately.
Skin tags are small growths on your skin that can look a bit like warts.
Skin tags are small, soft, skin-coloured growths on your skin. They can vary in colour and size – from a few millimetres up to 5cm wide.
Skin tags are usually found on the neck, armpits, around the groin, or under the breasts. They can also grow on the eyelids or under the folds of the buttocks.
They can look like warts, but skin tags are usually:
Skin tags do not usually cause any pain or discomfort.
If they're bothering you, you can have skin tags removed by cutting, burning or freezing them. You'll usually have to pay for this privately.
Do not try to remove a skin tag without speaking to a GP first. If you have a skin tag that's causing problems, consider making an appointment with a privately practising GP to have it removed.
Skin tags can easily be burnt or frozen off in a similar way to how warts are removed. They can also be surgically removed, sometimes using local anaesthetic.
Freezing or burning skin tags can cause irritation and temporary skin discoloration, and the skin tag may not fall off and further treatment may be needed.
Surgical removal has the advantage of removing the skin tag completely, but there is a risk of minor bleeding.
If your skin tag is small with a narrow base, your GP may suggest that you try to remove it yourself.
For example, they may suggest tying off the base of the skin tag with dental floss or cotton to cut off its blood supply and make it drop off (ligation).
Never attempt to remove large skin tags yourself because they'll bleed heavily.