Hello there! How are you doing?

I'm Dr Peter Ch'ng and here's Episode 16 of our Patient Mailbox series. We collect handpicked questions submitted by patients suffering from various skin diseases and condition, and personally answer them with our best efforts. I hope to help any one of you who face challenges from similar situations.

Editor’s Note: Dr Peter Ch’ng is a Consultant Dermatologist actively involved in numerous talks and workshops, and is an esteemed contributor to dermatology research and publishing internationally. He practices at both Peter Ch'ng Clinic Skin & Laser Specialist in Desa Park City and Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Question:

Hi Dr Peter,

I’m Darren, and I’d like to ask about getting rid of skin tags on my neck.

I have had these skin tags (more than 5 of them) on my neck for many years now, but I didn’t care much about them until now. But recently, I have developed an interest in photography, and I get very annoyed and frustrated with these skin tags on my neck in my pictures.

Because of this, I either have to wear high collar shirts, edit my photos with softwares to blur out the skin tags, or occasionally use makeup to cover them up.

I’ve heard of just removing them casually at home with some methods, but I worry about the pain and any side effects - I don’t want any scars to worsen the situation!

What would you recommend as a dermatologist? How can I remove them safely? If I’m not mistaken, these skin tags should be harmless, unlike warts, right? 

Answer:

First of all, you do not need to worry too much about any health concerns that skin tags would bring, because they are generally harmless and do not turn into skin diseases or cancers.

Skin tags are basically extra skin on our body that has a peduncle, or a neck-like appearance in its shape.

What causes skin tags?

Skin tags can be due to aging, pregnancy (during pregnancy, our brain will stimulate the production of growth hormones for our body to grow, this includes skin growth), obesity, or genetics, and patients with diabetes also have a high risk of skin tags.

Where do skin tags appear?

Skin tags usually appear at skin areas that have folds, like on our eyelids, on the neck, armpits or underarms, and around our groin or private part area.

Should you remove your skin tags at home?

I get this question from patients a lot. And I always say, just like removing moles or any lumps and bumps on our skin, we always see people removing skin tags at home or very commonly at night markets. They use strong acids to peel them off, use threads to tie them up and pull them off, or simply use a pair of scissors to cut them off.

These methods can definitely remove the skin tags or skin bumps, but they almost certainly would leave a scar on your skin.

Furthermore, when using acid, which is probably the most common method used to remove skin tags in non-clinical premises, there are several risks involved.

First of all, when using acid to drip on the skin tag, we cannot control the depths of the acid penetration into our skin, the strength of the acid reaction on our skin, and a non-medically trained hand will not be able to control how hard to press the acid on our skin. All of these, if not done perfectly, can cause scarring.

These methods can also be dangerous because of the lack of precaution involved.

For example, if there's a skin tag on the upper eyelid, it is at a very dangerous area. Even when we use a laser treatment to remove the skin tag, we have to take note of all the safety precautions, like making sure the procedure is done under adequate anaesthesia so that the patient doesn't move the eyelids during the procedure, because these movements can cause injury to the eyes.

The risk is even higher when using acid, because the acid may drip into the eyes, which may can not only cause scarring, but also blindness.

Also, if these procedures are done in a non-sterile environment using non-sterile equipment or tools, there is a risk of infection.

How to remove skin tags safely

The best method to remove skin tag is using a laser treatment.

Lasers are very fine, so no matter how small the skin tag is, we can remove it without causing any scars, because it can accurately and precisely target the skin tag without touching the surrounding skin.

However, this is only safe and effective if done by a trained dermatologist or skin specialist, because an untrained hand can mishandle a laser and cause scarring or other side effect.

Also, if the skin tag is big, it means that there is blood supply to the skin tag, we then need to tie around the neck of the skin tag before removing it, otherwise it may bleed continuously, especially if not done carefully.

Editor's note: Getting an experienced dermatologist like Dr Peter is the safest way to get rid of your skin tag. If you'd like Dr Peter to have a look at your skin condition, call us at +6011-22882299, WhatsApp us here, or book an appointment with Dr Peter here!

After removing the skin tag via a laser treatment, a crust will form over the treatment area within 2-3 days.

During this period, I always tell patients to NOT SCRATCH the crust, or it will leave a scar.

Instead, just apply the post-care or post-procedure ointment given by the doctor, and after 1-2 weeks the crust will just peel off nicely, leaving no scar, and no more skin tags.

Will the skin tag return?

The chances of recurrence of a skin tag on the same spot is very rare. However, we cannot prevent skin tags from happening at other skin areas.

If a skin tag appears at another skin area, we just need to repeat the laser treatment procedure and post-care steps, and the skin tag can be removed. But there is no way to prevent another new skin tag from appearing again.

Skin tag or wart?

It is very important to differentiate between skin tags and warts before determining a suitable treatment and care for it.

Skin tags are benign, meaning that they won't turn into a cancer.

On the other hand, warts are an infection, and we need to treat them as soon as possible or they will spread or worsen.

How do we differentiate skin tags and warts?

They look almost the same when we see them from afar, but on close sight, especially when we use a dermatoscope, we can see that skin tags have smooth surface, while warts have rough surface, like a cauliflower.

Viral warts also have pinpoint bleeding or blood spots on the surface.

Should I remove my skin tag?

Skin tags are generally harmless, but there are reasons to remove them:

1. The skin tags are causing a discomfort. Skin tags that are dangling on the upper eyelid can block our vision, those on the neck keep rubbing against our clothes and can cause irritation and inflammation, and those over our groin areas can be very uncomfortable when we sweat.
2. For aesthetic or cosmetic purposes. Skin tags can be unsightly when there are many of them, or when they are dangling on our skin.

However, whenever you think of removing a skin tag, or any lumps and bumps on your skin at all, always remember - safety comes first. Don't take any risks, it is the safest to get professional advice and treatments from a verified dermatologist or skin specialist.

Even if you're unable to access to a dermatologist nearby, I hope this article can help you be more informed and understand skin tags and its treatments better before you undergo any treatments.

Look out for next week's entry as we look at 5 facts about skin tags that you should know!

Cheers.

*Editor’s note: As an esteemed dermatologist and skin specialist, Dr Peter is a renowned doctor in treating various skin conditions. He also prides himself in being able to treat acne patients of all types, with a 100% acne treatment success record. If you’d like to ask more about your skin condition or have a discussion with Dr Peter, call us at +6011-22882299, WhatsApp us here, or book an appointment with Dr Peter here!

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If you’d like to ask more about your skin condition or have a discussion with Dr Peter, you can contact us at +6011-22882299, Whatsapp us, or book an appointment with Dr Peter here!