Skin tag are also called as Cutaneous tags, Papillomas, Fibroepithelial polyps, Soft fibromas, Pedunculated and Filiform tags and is a commonly believed to be a inherited condition that manifests as small, irregular, smooth or rough, flesh-colored or pinkish growths on a thin stalk. At times they are also referred as skin polyps. Skin tags are very common, and their prevalence increases with age. Skin tags develop in both men and women as they grow older. Skin tags are most commonly found on the skin fold of eyelids, neck, armpits, and groin area. A rare case presence of skin tags over the shaft of penis or anus is seen. Skin tags commonly observed in the flexural surfaces and various folds of skin, are more frequently encountered in presence of obesity, diabetes, pregnancy and old age. Skin tags are benign growths that can sometimes become irritated or traumatized. Acrochordons is the proper medical term used for skin tags. Skin tags are benign and usually not bothersome or malignant. They may become irritated causing cosmetic displease and frustration. Although lesion are quite characteristic visibly and clinically but at times skin tags need to be differentiated from warts, fibromas and other benign tumors of skin and their appendages by proper diagnosis.
Treatment is usually not necessary unless the skin tags are irritating. The growths may be removed by surgery, by freezing or cryotherapy, or by electrical burn that is electrocautery. Thin, small skin tags are easily removed by snipping them off at their base using a blade or scissors. Alternatively, many dermatology specialists prefer to use surgery or excision to destroy them, with or without prior local anesthesia. A nail clipper is a good way to prevent skin tags but it should be properly sterilized by alcohol followed by application of antibiotic ointment. Following scissors-snip excisions, ligation, excision, surgery, electrocautery, local pressure or a topical preparation such as aluminum chloride or Monsel's solution that contains ferric subsulfate, it is often necessary to obtain hemostasis as this treatment may cause a stinging or burning reaction unless the area was pre-anesthetized.
The outer layer of the skin that is the epidermis shows overgrowth called as hyperplasia in scientific terms and it encloses an underlying layer of skin that is the dermis in which the normally-present collagen fibers appear abnormally loose and swollen resulting in formation of skin tags. Thus a balanced and well nourished diet can help to prevent skin tags but as the reason for its occurrence is not really known, they cannot be prevented as such. There are usually no medical complications or life threatening situations due to skin tags. They are not a source of medical problems for most people, and they are most often painless but can be very unsightly. Occasionally, irritation and discomfort may occur. There is usually no re-growth after skin tags are removed, although new growths may appear elsewhere on the body. There are many products readily available for skin tag removal that can help gradually in its complete elimination.
