Skin Tags

Skin tags are small growths that hang off your skin. They’re common and harmless, but can be removed if they’re bothering you.

What skin tags look like
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:

  • smooth and soft (warts tend to be rougher with an irregular surface)
  • knobbly and hang off the skin (warts are usually slightly raised or flat)
  • not contagious (warts spread very easily, so a sudden outbreak or cluster of growths is more likely to be warts)

Skin tags do not usually cause any pain or discomfort.

Why skin tags occur
Skin tags are made of loose collagen fibres and blood vessels surrounded by skin. Collagen is a type of protein found throughout the body.

Both men and women can develop skin tags. They tend to occur in older people and people who are obese or have type 2 diabetes.

Pregnant women may also be more likely to develop skin tags as a result of changes in their hormone levels.

Some people develop them for no apparent reason.

Skin tags tend to grow in the skin folds, where the skin rubs against itself, such as on the neck, armpits or groin. This is why they tend to affect overweight people who have excess folds of skin and skin chafing

When skin tags can be a problem
Skin tags are harmless and do not usually cause pain or discomfort. 
However, you may consider having skin tags removed if they’re affecting your self esteem, or if they snag on clothing or jewellery and bleed.

Sometimes, skin tags fall off on their own if the tissue has twisted and died from a lack of blood supply

Removing skin tags with Plasma BT
Skin tags can easily and quickly be ‘zapped’ off from the neck, axilla and body using our Plasma BT device. (read about Plasma BT here)

Never attempt to remove large skin tags yourself because they’ll bleed heavily

How long does it take?
5-10 minutes

Is it painful?
Local anaesthetic injections (using the tiniest needles) are used to numb the area.

Is there any downtime?
1-2 days of a small scab where the skin tag was. This then falls away.

Will the skin tag(s) return?
Although it is unlikely, skin tags can return.

What is the cost?