Organic Lifestyle Magazine

Are Skin Tags Trying Your Patience?

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Last updated on: March 31, 2016

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Skin tags can develop anywhere on the body, though they are often the result of chafing and irritation where skin is constantly rubbing against other skin. Obesity is associated with the growth of skin tags due to extra skin folds and increased friction.

Who Is  More Likely To Develop Skin Tags?

Skin tags are very common; 50% of the adult population develops them by  middle age.

Apart from weight, other contributing factors include genetics, diabetes, insulin rejection, and pregnancy. Steroid use can interfere with the body and muscles, which in turn can affect the skin, causing collagen fibers to bond in such a way that skin tags are formed.

Where Do Skin Tags Appear?

Common sites for skin tags are the eyelids, under the breasts, the armpits and the upper chest, but there are other types of skin tags, too. Genital tags include anal skin tags, groin skin tags, and vaginal skin tags.

Although groin and vaginal skin tags are harmless and benign, many people become embarassed or they worry about the tags being something more sinister. As the genital area is moist and the skin is often sensitive and tender, these skin tags can be more easily irritated, chafed, infected, or injured by rubbing against underwear or from friction during sports, exercise, or sexual activities. And skin tags in the vaginal area are more vulnerable during menstruation because they swell during this time.

All Skin Tags Are Similar Except for Anal Skin Tags

Anal skin tags can differ from regular skin tags as they are often the result of another condition called an anal fissure, a small tear in the anus caused by a hard stool. During the healing process of this tear, the anal skin becomes uneven, resulting in an anal skin tag. These same anal skin tags can also develop following hemorrhoids as the tissue-swelling (associated with the hemorrhoids) may extend to the anal skin. One of the differences between anal and other skin tags is that they can be itchy or painful. All skin tags can bleed if torn because they have their own blood supply.

Conventional Methods for Skin Tag Removal

By far, the easiest time to remove skin tags is when they are small. Conventional methods may involve some pain and discomfort and any surgery in the anal area (however small) may cause some post-operative pain.

  • Cryotherapy – a doctor freezes off the skin tag using liquid nitrogen.
  • Surgical excision – a doctor cuts off the skin tag using a local anesthetic to dull the pain.
  • Electrocautery (which is a suitable treatment for large skin tags) – a doctor cuts off the tag and cauterizes the wound.
  • Laser treatment (which can be used on anal skin tags rather successfully) – a doctor removes the tag with a laser and the whole anal area is resurfaced at the same time, which is a bonus.

Natural Skin Tag Removal

Natural removal means not having to resort to painful methods that can end up with scarring. All types of skin tags can be treated naturally. And, of course, natural methods are far less expensive than conventional ones.

Here Are Five Suggestions for Natural Skin Tag Removal

  1. Apply cider vinegar to the skin tag with a cotton ball. The only discomfort could be a stinging sensation. After a couple of days, you may notice that the skin tag changes color (becoming darker), but carry on applying for up to 4 weeks until the tag disappears.
  2. Castor oil can be made into a natural skin tag removal ointment by mixing it with baking soda to create a paste. You might want to add a few drops of citrus oil to improve the aroma. Keep applying the paste to the skin tag until the tag is eliminated.
  3. You can apply garlic juice or a sliver of garlic to any skin tag at night and cover with a bandage. The next morning, remove the garlic and rinse the tag. Repeat the process for the next two nights and then stop. Repeat if necessary after a week or two.
  4. Pure natural pineapple juice can also be used. Apply twice a day for a week or longer, but do not wash off the juice until the skin tag is eliminated.
  5. H-Skin Tags Formula is an ideal natural removal product for all types of skin tags, however sensitive the area. It is safe and gentle without any pain or scarring.

A Word or Two of Warning

Do not use any over-the-counter products for the removal of anal or genital skin tags. These chemicals are too harsh.

If you are in any doubt about whether a growth is a skin tag, ask for a definite diagnosis from your medical practitioner.

Conclusion

It is worth repeating that the easiest time to remove a skin tag is when it is small and easy to twist. The important thing is to choose as safe and painless a method as possible – whatever size they are and wherever they occur.

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Jane Chitty

Jane Chitty

Content Manager at amoils.com
Jane Chitty writes for Healing Natural Oils - a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as their SIMPLY all-natural beauty products. After a childhood in Kenya, spending the next decade in the UK and living for many years in Cape Town, South Africa, Jane has now settled again in the UK but regularly visits the USA where she has close family. She is interested in writing about natural treatments and lifestyles – especially in the areas of health, green living and nutrition – in these very different countries.

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