Here's A Few Skin Tag Removal Options

There are many options for skin tag removal if you find yourself with one of these blemishes. If you are trying to find out how to get rid of skin tags, ask your doctor about cauterization, cryosurgery, excision, or ligation. Most of these procedures are non-invasive and relatively painless.

Cryosurgery is another option for the removal of skin tags. This process involves applying severe cold to the skin tag to kill the tissue. When cells are exposed to freezing temperatures, ice crystals form and simply tear the cells apart. The solution most commonly used in cryosurgery is liquid nitrogen. The liquid is applied with a cotton swab; the procedure is minimally invasive and generally painless.

A more rare method of skin tag removal is ligation. Ligation is the process of simply cutting off the circulation to the lesion, letting the tissue die and fall off. This can be done with string or thread and works similarly to a tourniquet. Your last way to get rid of the skin tag is excision. For this, the tag is just completely cut off and removed by a scalpel. However, the practices of ligation and excision are not as commonly used by medical professionals as that of cryosurgery.

How To Get Rid Of Skin Tags - 3 Common Methods

When it comes to getting rid of skin tags, there are 3 methods your doctor might suggest - cutting, freezing and burning. While all of these sound painful, they actually can usually be done in the doctors office without anesthesia for smaller tags and with a topical anesthesia for larger ones.

Cutting - A minor surgical procedure using scissors

Burning - Done by medical electric cautery

Freezing - Using liquid nitrogen

Burning and freezing can cause discoloration of the skin and cutting could cause bleeding.

Problems Caused By Skin Tags

Skin tags are typically benign and pose no real threat to your health. Having said that, I can assure you that they can be a pain in the neck and can be problematic especially if they catch on your clothing. They can actually be torn off and bleed if they are in problem places. The bleeding is probably the worst problem, but they can also turn black from twisting which indicates dead skin. Skin tags can get caught on clothing, seat belts, pets and jewelry, all of which can cause you quite a bit of discomfort.

Who Gets Skin Tags?

While many people get them, the causes of skin tags are largely unknown. These unsightly flaps of skin can crop up at any time (they usually are not present at birth) and can happen to anyone. In fact, nearly half of the population will get them at one time during their life. Skin tags become more common as you reach middle age and are more common in overweight people as well.

How To Get Rid Of Skin Tags By Cutting

Skin tags are pretty ugly which is why anyone who has them probably wants to learn how to get rid of skin tags right quick. About the quickest way to get rid of them is by cutting them off. Yes, that's right, you can snip off these extra pieces of skin and they will be gone in an instant. Just use some sharp scissors or even a nail clipper depending on the size of the tag. Make sure whatever you use is sterile!

Now, I might tell you that this is not for the faint of heart. They could bleed so you must be very careful when cutting these off. In fact, you should probably let your doctor do it because it can be a bit risky. Plus, he or she can numb the area so that you don't feel as much pain.

While cutting might seem a bit drastic, it really is the quickest way of getting rid of skin tags. Having said that, there are other ways which, while they may take more time, are not as painful or risky. If you have skin tags and want to get rid of them, I might suggest you visit your doctor first to find out all your options.

There are many other methods for these pesky skin blemishes learn more about how to get rid of skin tags.