Skin tag - A common skin growth

A skin tag is a small (benign) tag of skin which may have a peduncle (stalk). Also known as an acrochordon, cutaneous papilloma, cutaneous tag, fibroepithelial polyp, fibroma molluscum, fibroma pendulum and soft fibroma, the surface of which may be smooth or irregular in appearance. They are usually flesh-colored or slightly brownish. Initially they are quite small, flattened like a pinhead bump. Skin tags can range in diameter from 2 mm to 1 cm; some may even reach 5 cm.

Skin tags affect people of all genders equally, but are more likely to occur in people who are pregnant and/or who have diabetes and have been associated with hyperinsulinaemia. Obesity and diabetes may increase the risk of skin tags developing.

According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), USA, approximately 46% of people have skin tags. Around 59% of people have skin tags by the time they are 70 years old. 

Skin tags can appear on any part of the surface of the body, A person may have anywhere from one to hundreds of skin tags. They mostly occur in areas where skin may rub against skin or clothing, such as:

• Eyelids
• Axillae (armpits)
• Under the breasts
• Groin
• Upper chest
• Neck (papilloma colli)

Skin tags are very common and generally occur after midlife. They are said to be caused by bunches of collagen and blood vessels which are trapped inside thicker bits of skin. They are the result of skin rubbing against skin. That is why they are generally found in skin creases and folds.

Most doctors recommend the removal of skin tags only when they are irritated or a source of discomfort, or if they constitute a cosmetic problem. Skin tags can be easily removed by tying or cutting them after injecting a small amount of a local anesthetic done by a doctor. Freezing, a technique sometimes used to remove warts or other benign lesions of the skin, is also sometimes performed for the removal of skin tags.