Skin Tags

What is a skin tag?

Skin tags are benign overgrowth of the top laher of the skin (epidermis). They tend to occur at areas of friction or at body folds – and so they are common on the eyelids, armpits and groin area. Though they are benign, skin tags often catch on clothing or jewelry and many patients choose to get them removed.  Some patients choose to remove them for cosmetic purposes. 

What treatments are available for this condition?

Cryotherapy is one of the treatments for skin tags – it involves the use of liquid nitrogen to create a controlled frostbite on the skin tag itself. Removal by shave excision or with a snip excision is very commonly performed – after cleansing the skin and injecting local anesthetic, a microsurgery scissor is used to remove skin tags individually.