Written by Doctor Christine Lee-Baw
Here at Azure, we use a special technique to remove them instantly with minimal scarring risk.
What is a skin tag?
A skin tag is a common soft harmless lesion that appears to hang off the skin.
Skin tags develop in both men and women as they grow older. They are skin coloured or darker and range in size from 1mm to 5cm. They are most often found in the skin folds (neck, armpits, groin). They tend to be more numerous in obese persons and in those with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
What causes skin tags?
It is not known what causes skin tags. However, the following factors may play a role:
• Chaffing and irritation from skin rubbing together
• High levels of growth factors, particularly during pregnancy or in acromegaly (gigantism)
• Insulin resistance (syndrome X)
• Human papillomavirus (wart virus)
At Azure, we use a radiofrequency machine to remove the skin tags instantly with minimal to no scarring. We use the same technology to remove greasy warts and other benign raised skin lesions. A local anaesthetic cream is required to minimise discomfort. Sometimes a local anaesthetic injection is required for large lesions. The skin heals rapidly within 7 days.