What are skin tags and how can you get rid of them?

To properly take care of your skin, it’s a good idea to routinely check your body for changes, raise questions to a dermatologist, and start a treatment regimen, if necessary. One common occurrence on the body is the development of skin tags, which appear as growths that are the same color as the surrounding skin or darker. While they pose little risk to your health, as皮肤标签几乎总是良性的, you may elect to get rid of them. To learn more about what causes skin tags and how to remove them, we spoke withDr. Alexander Zuriarrain, double board-certified plastic surgeon with Zuri Plastic Surgery in Miami.

什么导致皮肤标记?

Skin tags, a.k.a.阿克罗登, are1至5毫米生长made up of fast-growing skin cells that group together and protrude from the surrounding skin. An estimated50% to 60% of adults will develop at least once skin tag, but it’s more common for them to appear in someone’s 40s or later. Some people have genetic malformations that cause an increased predisposition to developing skin tags, Zuriarrain says. However, “these individuals are rare and do not represent most of the population.”

Skin tags are painless, though it’s possible for them to catch on your clothing, jewelry, or even on a nail while scratching, which may cause discomfort. While they can appear anywhere on the body, the most common areas to see skin tags are the face and back. “[Location] is very dependent on the patient’s ethnic background as well as genetic makeup,” Zurriarrain says. “Everybody is different around the world regarding skin tag locations on their body.”

Can you remove skin tags at home?

Though you may be tempted to perform your own minor surgery at home, Zuriarrain recommends leaving it up to the doctors. One reason for this is to confirm that the growth is benign, not malignant, by sending it to pathology for an assessment. Of course, an office setting also has the proper tools—a doctor can inject a local anesthetic to eliminate pain and use heat, cold, or a sharp tool such as a scalpel for the skin tag removal.

Once a skin tag is excised, it’s uncommon for a new one to grow back in the same spot, though you may see more in the future in other locations.

您可以防止皮肤标签吗？

不幸的是，您几乎无能为力防止皮肤标签形成。Zuriarrain说：“有时，它们可能发生在皮肤摩擦增加的区域，例如腋窝[即腋窝]。”“在这种情况下，体重减轻和去除过量的皮肤松弛可以促进皮肤标签的摩擦和发育减少。”应用减少摩擦的产品，例如身体滑行, to areas that are prone to skin tags may also help.

The best thing to do is to alert your doctor to any concerns you have about developing skin tags and work with a dermatologist to remove them as soon as they occur, if the appearance bothers you.

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