This overgrowth of soft hanging skin is called a skin tag and is a common condition. It is a harmless growth which some people are prone to.
It can be flesh-coloured or slightly more brown which projects from the surrounding skin from a small, narrow stalk. They can be found on the base of the neck, underarms, eyelids, groin folds, and under the breasts (especially where underwire bras rub directly beneath the breasts).
Skin tags grow where skin rubs against skin or clothing, this is why they also tend to affect overweight people who have excess folds of skin and skin chafing, and they can also be genetically passed on. Skin tags are harmless and do not usually cause pain or discomfort, however, one may want to consider getting them removed if they are ugly or if they snag on jewellery and bleed.
When skin tags first appear, they are small and you can easily twist them, this is the ideal time to treat them. Sometimes, skin tags fall off on their own if the skin tissue has twisted and died from a lack of blood supply but more than often they need to be removed.
Do not attempt to remove large tags yourself as they can bleed very heavily. They vary in size from a pinhead to the size of a large grape. They do not look very nice and do catch on jewellery on the neck area and get in the way when doing hair removal on the armpits.
Skin tags can be removed with a simple and effective diathermy treatment. This involves the use of thermolysis where the skin tag is cauterised and coagulated, the area develops a fine crust/scab over the next few days which heals and falls off over a week or so with no evidence of it ever been there.
As there are nerve endings in the skin tag, you will feel a mild stinging sensation as the treatment is carried out. Treatment time can vary from ten to thirty minutes depending on the size of the tag and how many there are.
This treatment is very effective and children can be treated with no side effects. I have been carrying out this treatment for over 20 years, treating men, women and children, each one getting excellence results and not a trace of there ever been a skin tag on the area to be seen.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)