Other Skin Conditions: Moles, Birthmarks, Dryness, Etc. / Question
Published: May 6, 2009
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I'm a 20 year old girl and have a small skin tag on my inner thigh close to my groin. Since it's in an embarrassing spot I really don't want to go to the doctor to have it removed. My mom and various websites I've looked at say it's not a big deal but with swimsuit season coming up, I feel really self conscious about it. I read about a home remedy where you tie off the base of the tag with dental floss to cut off the blood supply and it will fall off in a few days. Does this work and is it safe?
Signed: Home Remedy For A Skin Tag?
Dear Home Remedy For A Skin Tag?,
You can read online about home remedies for skin tags, such as using thread or dental floss to get a skin tag to fall off. However, medical professionals do not recommend that people attempt any kind of home remedies for skin tags. The treatments for skin tags are generally simple and often effective, but they should be performed by a doctor so that any unnecessary health risks can be avoided.
If you have a skin tag, it is important to meet with your primary care physician or a dermatologist. A doctor needs to to look at the area and determine whether or not you have a skin tag. Other skin disorders can look like skin tags, such as benign conditions like moles, warts, and seborrheic keratoses, as well as malignant skin cancers including melanomas. The presence of multiple skin tags may be due to a hormonal or endocrine syndrome. That said, a medical evaluation is very important prior to treatment so that an accurate diagnosis of the condition can be made – and the correct treatment method can subsequently be employed.
Medical treatments for a benign skin tag include removal with surgical scissors, freezing with liquid nitrogen, and electrical burning. If the skin tag is large or has a broad base, surgical removal can be an option. Small tags are usually removed easily without anesthesia, while larger ones may require a local anesthesia. Repeat treatments may be needed if the tag doesn’t initially fall off, if it grows back, or if new tags appear elsewhere.
There are several home remedies people will attempt – such as using dental floss to constrict blood flow to the tag, causing it to die and fall off. But the problem with all the home remedies out there is that in the process of removing the skin tag yourself, surrounding tissue can also be destroyed. This could then lead to discoloration, scarring or infection. Most people want to remove tags for cosmetic reasons – so it would be silly to run the risk of creating another problematic skin condition by removing the tag yourself if the goal is to make a positive change to your skin.
So meet with your primary care physician or a dermatologist and let him/her make the diagnosis and determine the appropriate course of treatment. If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-6475 for an appointment or contact your local teen health center. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network primary care physicians and/or dermatologists.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
A national study of women ages 15-44 found that women were almost twice as likely to receive contraceptive services rather than STD services.
