Advice from a Sarasota Florida Dermatologist

A patient recently came in to have me look at small growths of skin under their arm. These growths that the patient was concerned about turned out to be benign skin tags.Skin tags are small pieces of skin that stick out from the body. The most common places for them to be found are in wrinkles or skin folds under the arms, sides of neck, groin area, and around the eyes.

Generally, we are prone to get skin tags as we mature. That's a nice way of saying our bodies grow some odd things as we get older.Although it is not necessary to remove skin tags for health reasons, most people dislike having them because 1) they may not like the look of them or 2) the irritation caused by friction from clothing and jewelry.

International Society for Dermatologic Surgery

I find most patients are in favor of removing them once a patient learns how easily they can be removed.As a dermatologist, I often remove skin tags for cosmetic reasons by three different methods:

-- Cryotherapy - freezing with liquid nitrogen.

-- Surgical excision - cutting it off.

-- Electrocautery - this is a process involving a very hot and very small blade. The knife is used to cut off the skin tag while, at the same time, sealing the blood vessel to stop any excessive bleeding.

There are usually very few side affects to removing a skin tag. I usually send patients home with a band-aid covering the affected area, which I am sure is removed at the patient's convenience upon arriving back home. Since most skin tags are superficial, scar formation is very rare.

Dermatologic Surgery Grants

Unfortunately, most medical insurance companies have stopped paying for the removal of skin tags. They consider the removal of skin tags to be "medically unnecessary". So the cost of removal has to be taken into consideration when deciding to have a skin tag removed...

If you think you have skin tags? I always recommend you see a board certified dermatologist for any concerns regarding skin growths or irritations to ensure that it is properly diagnosed and treated.