Q: My name is Tom and I am a young 66 years old. The reason I am writing you is because I read your column every day. I have these skin tags, especially under my arms that are really bothersome, especially when I play golf. I’ve been to a dermatologist and it cost me $250 for about four tags to be removed by cutting them off. Too expensive to have it done that way. I’ve tried clear nail polish and nothing happened. I even tried the product for warts that freezes them and this doesn’t work either. So, I tried what the dermatologist did. This works but when I cut them, they bleed for quite a while. Can you help me? Is there a way that I haven’t read or heard about to get rid of them and the pain because of the rubbing? I also have a few on my neck and sides. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
A: Skin tags are benign, flesh-colored growths that occur on eyelids, under the arms, on the neck, and other areas of the body. They are believed to grow in locations on the body where the skin rubs against clothing or other skin. They may be as small as the head of a pin or substantially larger and are commonly seen in people who are overweight or who have diabetes. An individual may have only one or may have hundreds in various areas. While they are commonly acquired and not present at birth, they appear to be more pronounced in individuals as they age.
Tags don’t commonly require treatment unless they are bothersome because of their location. When this occurs, there are several options for removal. They can be tied off at the base with dental floss or string. They can be “frozen” with liquid nitrogen, cauterized with electro-dessication, or cut off as your dermatologist discussed. There are potential risks to be considered that include failure of the tag to fall off and temporary discoloration of the skin. The dental floss technique should be easy to perform at home unless the tags are in an awkward position such as under your arms. In this case, you might have to ask a family member to tie them off for you; however, the balance of the removal techniques are best performed in a physician’s office. Because of their size, some tags may require local anesthesia which is inexpensive at about $7 per bottle that would yield 100 injections. Your dermatologist’s charge for this appears ridiculously expensive, as are many other surgical procedures performed. .
Unfortunately, the removal of tags is considered cosmetic and will not be covered by most insurance companies. Therefore, more and more individuals are taking matters into their own hands, so to speak, and using cutting or tying methods for removal.
There are instances when a tag will change color and turn very dark. This is because the blood supply that fed the tag previously and kept it flesh-colored is inadequate or has been cut off, which is exactly what occurs when using thread or dental floss. The result is a purple-to-black tag that should fall off within a matter of days. The risk here is a possibility of infection.
I must stress that there are other tag-like growths that might require investigation by a general practitioner or dermatologist, so if one or more of your tags changes color or appearance, it will be to your advantage to see a health care professional. If questions remain, a biopsy may be performed.
