See Author: Maria Alfano
Are there different types of skin tags and, should I be worried? Ok, I get it, you want to blame menopause for everything!
Things aren’t always as they seem. Menopause may not be the reason you have skin tags.
Your beautiful long neck is suddenly speckled with these unsightly little bumps. There are different types of skin tags. Some bumps are smaller and somewhat flat. Others are larger and protrude from your skin’s surface. Some are the same color as your normal skin and others can appear red or brown.
Your neck is not the only place where skin tags grow. They grow on eyelids, back, underarms, groin, and around the torso – as well as any areas where clothes rub against your skin. Is there cause for alarm?
Skin Tags After 50 – Is There Cause For Alarm
Before we figure out if we should worry about them, we need to know what they are. Both men and women equally become susceptible to skin tags as they age.
Essentially, a skin tag is a soft piece of skin with a stalk that sticks out from the skin. The tags are usually benign tumors or bumps on the skin.
Causes of Skin Tags
- Obesity – skin tags can form in the folds of the skin. Similar to clothes rubbing against the skin, tags can appear in areas where skin rubs against skin.
- Diabetes – people with diabetes or insulin resistance have a tendency to get more skin tags. If you have never been checked for diabetes, these nasty-looking bumps could be saving your life.
- Pregnancy – some of us still have a residue of skin tags from our younger years when we were pregnant with our precious babies.
- Heredity – if skin tags run in the family, you likely will get them too as you age.
- High cholesterol – skin tags can be trying to tell you to check your cholesterol levels to avoid any cardiovascular issues in the future.
While these little buggers are annoying, the good news is they are mostly harmless. They may be a sign of something happening in your body (like developing diabetes) but thank goodness they are not likely to be cancerous.
On very rare occasions, skin tags could be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome or Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (skin disorder including melanoma).
Skin Tag Removal
These tiny little alien skin creatures tend to bleed a LOT! And, they can get infected. It’s not recommended that you try to remove them yourself.
The best removal methods are:
- Have them surgically removed by your doctor. A clean sterilized environment, using sterilized surgical tools, performed by a professional, will give you the best chance at successfully getting them removed without scarring.
- Freeze them off with liquid nitrogen. Again, this is something your doctor will need to take care of for you. DO NOT try this at home (unless of course, you are a doctor who does this for a living).
- Burn them off. No, I am not talking about taking a match to your skin. Your doctor will have a small tool with a loop that is heated. It will cut off the skin tag with the extreme heat. It seals the blood vessels at the same time to limit bleeding.
The good news is once a skin tag is removed, it won’t grow back in the same spot.
To help with irritated skin tags, you can use vitamin E oils. Applying vitamin E daily for 3-5 days may cause the tag to dry up and fall off.
Avoid Getting Skin Tags
There is no real way to stop skin tags from forming in a medical sense. However, you can do the following to limit the chances of different types of skin tags occurring.
-avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes
-try to stay fit to avoid obesity
-wear jewelry that is not likely to catch on the skin tags
In Summary – Types of Skin Tags
Skin tags may be annoying and look unpleasant. The tags themselves are not usually a cause for concern. They may be a sign of something happening inside your body. Go see your doctor if the tags get twisted, irritated, or discolored.
I have tried so many home remedies and over-the-counter products and sadly the only thing I lost was my money. I still have the skin stags to prove it.
We would love to hear from you. Did you successfully get rid of your skin tags? If so, how?