How to Get Rid of Skin Tags With Home Remedies
You might be wondering what this “skin tag” is (also known as a fibroepithelial polyp) and why some people need to remove it. Surely, some of you may be thinking this article is all about removing skin marks or tattoos – but it’s not. If you’ve seen someone with a certain balloon-like hanging skin, these are skin tags.
In this article, you will know how to get rid of skin tags with home remedies and what are the usual procedures dermatologists do to remove them. While such skin growths are not deadly, there are some people who want it removed to feel more comfortable with their skin especially on areas that is commonly visible. Cutaneous tags are usually mistaken for warts due to their appearance. At times, this misconception makes people more uncomfortable especially when other people stare at them.
If you think you are saved from these, well, you’re not. These benign tumors will eventually grow on you. Nobody is safe from these. But it is good to know that these are not contagious either. You can’t contract it the same way you can’t transfer it. There will be a time in your life when it will grow. This usually occurs as you grow older.
Before discussing to you about removing skin tags, here is a deeper look at what these things are.
What Are Skin Tags?
This is how they look like.
Skin tags are common. Its medical term is acrochordon. As what was said earlier in this article, they are described as small, balloon-like, hanging skin. Some may have even taken these as tumors. Well, they are – but don’t panic since they are benign skin growths that are harmless and painless. Eventually, these will fall off.
If these will eventually fall off, then why would others undergo skin tag removal treatments?
While they eventually fall off, there are some that don’t come off for a long time. At times, its stalk grows longer and can be very unpleasant. This is especially true if it grows as large as a big grape which is 5cm in diameter.
These growths may be usually benign. However, you should check these from time to time. There are extremely rare instances where they become cancerous.
Cancerous skin tags are characterized by bleeding bumps and with multiple colors such as pink, red, or brown. If you notice one of yours with these symptoms, go to your doctor and ask to have it undergo a biopsy.
What Are The Common Areas Where They Grow?
There are certain areas where these little bumps commonly grow. While these can grow almost anywhere, the most common places are the necks and armpits. They can also grow on your eyelids, breast, buttocks and groin folds.
Armpit and Neck are the most common places
Acrochordons commonly grow on areas where the skin is rubbed. For kids, skin growths may develop at the upper eye lids as they are usually prone to rub their eyes. Older children, especially those at their early teens, develop these in their underarm especially if the area is irritated from sweat.
Other than resolving cosmetic problems, getting rid of skin tags helps people become more comfortable in moving.
How To Get Rid Of Skin Tags With Home Remedies
There are two alternatives you can try to remove them: home remedies and clinical procedures. In undergoing either of these ways, it is best to consult a doctor first especially if you will be doing it at home and opting for the various removal products available over the counter.
Skin Tag Removal Cream
There are two ways to get rid of skin tags: by using removal creams or by using removal products that are all natural (oils, plant extracts and other items you can find in the backyard or pantry).
Skin tag removal cream can remove them rather quickly. Many opt for these due to their affordability and painless side effects. It may not be an immediate tag remover but it is one of the best home remedies.
While there are some who may have claimed it worked well for them, you should still consult a doctor first before trying any recommended products. Depending on your skin’s sensitivity, the cream may cause rashes and other skin problems when applied. You need to ensure that the products you will be using suits your skin’s preference. Here are some skin tag removal creams:
- Dermatend
Dermatend is one of the rather effective skin tag removal cream out today. It may cost you more than other topical solutions but it is effective. The best part: it doesn’t leave you scarred if you have a certain type of skin.
Dermatend can get rid of any skin imperfection and can help with removing moles at home. It has an all-natural formula which will save your skin from going through laser surgery and even burning and cutting from a clinical procedure. All you need to do is apply it regularly.
With its all natural ingredients, Dermatend is safe to use but might prove to be a bit too aggressive for those with sensitive skin. It penetrates skin and affects your immune system. This will help deliver the white blood cells to the tag and other blemishes to remove it. However, our recommendation clearly goes to the next product:
- Revitol Skin Tag Remover
Revitol is one of the best solutions to get rid of these annoying growths. It is the number one homeopathic solution at present with its easy and painless removal method. All you need to do is apply it. Just like Dermatend, Revitol is also an all-natural skin tag removal cream which is best for those with sensitive skin. It won’t cause scarring and it easily removes acrochordons and other blemishes in no time.
Some of the main ingredients you can find in Revitol are thuja occidentalis 6X HPUS, sunflower oil, tea tree oil, soybean oil, and BHT, ingredients that are commonly found in other home remedies, just in a concentrated and combined formula for increased effectiveness. Just remember to apply it twice a day for 6 to 8 weeks.
Revitol has provided great satisfaction to those who have tried it. You can also find offers where you can get free bottles.
- Tag No More
Tag No More is another solution that will help you get rid of the tags on your skin. It is clinically approved and is painless.
Just like the first two creams suggested, Tag No More is also made of all natural ingredients. It is composed of thuja occidentalis with a combination of inactive compounds to immediately get rid of blemishes.
Tag No More has no harsh chemicals and will get rid of skin tags in about 6 to 8 weeks. It dries them up until they fall off.
Other skin tag removal creams you can consider trying are Wartrol, Compound W Gel and Skinhale. Compound W Gel is actually a wart removal cream. Please take note that acrochordons are not warts.
Other Home Remedies
There are some other remedies to answer the question of how to get rid of skin tags. Here are some of them.
- Dental floss tie
You may find this weird but using dental floss does work in removing skin tags. How? This procedure is called ligation. It kills the benign tumor by blocking off the blood flow to the affected area. You simply tie the dental floss around the tag and pull on it little by little every day. Don’t pull on it once. That would definitely hurt!
After several days of tying and pulling and blocking off the blood flow, you will notice it changing in color. Wait a few more days and it will dry and fall off on its own.
- Alcohol
When we think of alcohol on wounds and warts, we often think of a very tingling and painful sensation. Well, applying alcohol to your tags doesn’t do this at all and it will definitely clear your skin of it. All you need to do is clip the skin with a nail clipper after applying alcohol. Since there are no nerves in acrochordons, this procedure doesn’t hurt much. It will bleed but after a while it will get better. Just remember to dab it with nail polish afterwards.
- Freeze ‘Em
Fibroepithelial Polyps, as said earlier, are not warts but you can freeze them too by using liquid nitrogen. There are pharmacies that offer these as a freezing kit.
To do this, you simply apply the liquid nitrogen to the area which will eventually have it fall off after a few weeks.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the most preferred home remedies. You can easily find this in your kitchen. All you have to do is rub a little bit of apple cider vinegar using a soaked cotton ball. Do this at least thrice a day until the tumor falls off.
By rubbing vinegar on your tag, you will notice how it will change color until it falls off.
- Duct Tape
You might find using duct tape to be a bit funny but it works! All you have to do is cover the area on your skin with it until the tape loosens. Check if the skin growth is either a bit loose or if it has fallen off. Reapply the duct tape until it completely falls off.
- Vitamin E + an Adhesive Bandage
Vitamin E is good for the skin. You can either use a cream with vitamin E or a capsule which you can simply break open. Wipe some of the liquid on the tumor and cover it with bandage. This is to cut off the blood supply on the tag.
Vitamin E will help heal the skin as the tag falls off. Leave the bandage and reapply the vitamin E when needed.
- Tea Tree Oil
You may have noticed tea tree oil as one of the components of the creams used to remove skin tags. Well, this is also used to prevent them from developing in the first place.
Tea tree oil is an essential oil derived from the plant Melaleuca alternifolia. You can find these in pharmacies and herbal outlets.
To fight acrochordons, wash the area affected with soap and water. Dry it afterwards and apply 1 to 3 drops of tea tree oil to it. Do this by dabbing the skin gently using cotton or a Q-tip. Repeat this several times a day until the tag eventually falls off.
Tea tree oil also helps get rid of irritation. You can dilute it with water and apply it several times. To make healing and removal faster, place a plaster over the affected area. This will help the oil do its work more effectively.
There are other removal products you can use at home. Most of these are painless and affordable solutions. It may take some time to see the growth fall off but you can definitely see effective results. These solutions are also safe especially if you are prone to skin allergies. Here are some products you can try out. These are dermatologist approved too.
- Dermasil
Dermasil is composed of natural herbal extracts from Melaleuca alternifolia, thuja occidentalis (which was mentioned several times earlier), and Ricinus communis. These plants are known for their ability to heal and repair skin. These are also known to eliminate skin diseases. Just follow the instructions on how to apply Dermasil to the affected area.
- Castor oil
Castor oil is derived from the seed of the castor bean, Ricinus communis. This oil is known to be very effective in treating various skin diseases. You need to mix it with baking soda to make it a paste. Apply and rub this paste on the skin growth several times until it falls off.
- Bloodroot
Also known as bloodword, bloodroot is from the plant Sanguinaria Canadensis. Use the extract to top it on the acrochordon; however you need to be careful when using it. It can also cause harm. Apply it delicately to avoid further skin problems.
- Compound W
Compound W is effective in freezing the warts, moles and tags off. However, the problem with it is the possibility of harming the surrounding skin. You need to carefully apply this too to make sure that the surrounding skin is not affected and only the target area is frozen up.
Doctor’s Advice Regarding Surgery
You now have an idea about removing skin tags at home. There may be those that sound like products found in Diagon Alley (If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll get what this place is.) but these are simply products you can find in pharmacies and even the grocery.
Now, after discussing some products on how to get rid of skin tags at home, here are some pointers you should know when you go for a clinical solution.
Not all skin diseases are treated equally.
Well, you may want them removed but believe it or not, there are some that your doctor won’t even bother to get rid of. Skin tags are not dangerous after all. They also don’t cause pain nor are they associated with any medical problems. You can have it removed easily at home, but if these don’t bother you at all even if people stare at it then leave it be.
Have a doctor remove it with scalpel or scissors. You may have read that nail clippers can remove this but if you are in a hurry then ask your doctor to do this. You can have this removed with a scalpel or scissors. Doctors remove skin tags by numbing them first with anesthesia then slowly severing them at the base using a scalpel. Doing this properly ensures that no pain is felt.
Have the doctor remove it by cauterization. Cauterizing is a treatment where skin growths undergo electrolysis. It is usually a better way to make sure they don’t appear again.
Cauterizing doesn’t leave people scarred. It is also advised for those who have benign tumors on visible areas. Just make sure not to irritate the affected area to avoid bleeding. During this treatment, and after, avoid wearing jewelry, covering it, or rubbing the area where the tag was.
Additional Facts
You have just read a few methods on how to get rid of skin tags. As you opt for any of these treatments, you also need familiarize yourself with some further information. These can help you understand why there are some treatments a person can’t undergo and why there are some who wish to have it removed.
- Who tends to suffer from this skin disease?
While everybody will eventually have skin tags, there are some who are more prone to it. Almost half of the world’s population has been reported with these growths; and while people can have this, most of them have acquired it as they arise to adulthood.
Acrochordons are much more common among middle aged people. The number of these benign tumors increase as people reach up to 60 years of age. Children, on the other hand, develop the growths on necks and underarms due to sweat and rubbing.
Fibroepithelial Polyps are also common to overweight and obese people. This is usually referred to as acanthosis nigricans, and usually develops around the neck and armpits. In these people, the disease occurs due to high blood fats and sugar.
Even hormones are considered culprits. Pregnancy can cause women to have them too. These are usually developed on lower parts of the breast and upper chest parts. Heredity is also considered to be another cause.
- Will removing skin tags cause more to grow?
No, removing them doesn’t cause more to grow. There is no evidence about one or two skin tags growing on the area where one was removed. It’s not a hydra! There’s no seed that makes them spread either. Some people happen to be more prone to this especially as they grow older.
- Are they contagious?
Acrochordons are not contagious. People don’t get them from other people but they eventually acquire them. These are not warts which are caused by a virus known as human papillomavirus or HPV. On the other hand, this HPV is contagious which makes it necessary for you to be very careful in dealing with it.
- What causes them?
They are caused by collagen and blood vessels that get trapped inside the skin. This is caused by too much rubbing of skin to skin that is why it usually appears on areas where there are skin folds and creases such as armpits and the neck.
These usually develop in time and are more common among people who are obese, as mentioned earlier. Those with hormonal changes are often prone to these too. If you are using steroids, then this too can cause these benign tumors. It bonds the collagen fibers which form to tags.
In Summary
You have just learned about getting rid of skin tags at home. Just remember that these are not warts and should not be a cause of panic. If it is visible and you don’t want to cause too much attention from people you meet on the street, then you can try the remedies provided in this article. You don’t have to bother yourself by spending too much on laser and other medical procedures.
While they are not dangerous, take note that these are still tumors. It might be very rare to have one that is cancerous but it is best to check these once in a while. To make sure you avoid this, apply the other remedies mentioned earlier like tea tree oil or a removal cream. These are good ingredients to prevent these growths, too. It also leaves the skin healthier and smoother. Just remember to review the products you will use to apply on your skin. As mentioned earlier, there are products which can cause more skin problems instead of eliminating them, especially if not used carefully.
A good amount of vitamin E can also help your skin in many areas. This will help you maintain a good glow for your skin too.
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