Skin tags are soft, benign growths that develop within the skin folds of your armpits, neck, breasts, eyelids and the groin area.

What form skin tags are loose collagen fibers that get lodged inside the thicker areas of your skin.

It is not certain what causes skin tags, but they can develop from skin rubbing against skin. though skin tags are not harmful, they disfigure your skin and can be painful if they get caught on a piece of clothing or jewelry.

It is a skin blemish that should be removed. You, however, have to be careful when removing it because it can lead to bleeding if you do it wrong.

So, today we will be talking about safe ways to remove skin tags.

What are the safe ways to get rid of skin tags?

1. Apply a skin tag removal cream

There are creams specially made to remove skin tags. Some creams come in kits that also have an applicator.

Some kits come with the instructions to first clean the skin with a wipe – preferably an alcohol-based one. Then you file down the tag before applying the cream, to ensure that the cream is fully absorbed into your skin.

You might experience a mild tingling sensation, but the tags tend to fall off after two or three weeks.

2. Use a tag removal device

There are skin tag removal devices that help to remove skin tags.

The device is used to cut off the supply of blood to the base of the tag with the help of a tiny band.

This is also known as litigation.

If there is no supply of blood to the tag, the skin cells in the tag will die and then, the tag will drop off.

This usually takes ten days for this to happen.

3. Use a string or floss

If you do not know how to do this, you should ask for help from someone who can.

Some people cut off the flow of blood from the base of the tag by using floss or string. Of you do this for a few days, the skin tag should fall off from your skin.

But before you do anything, it is very important that you clean you’re floss or string, your hands, and your skin thoroughly to avoid any form of skin infection.

You might have to tighten the string or floss every day, so it does not get loose and blood begins to flow into the base of the tag again. If that happens, the tag will not fall off.

4. Apply home remedies

There are some home remedies you can apply to remove the skin tag. Here are some:

a. Tea tree oil

This is an essential oil used to treat skin tags. This however not scientifically proven but people have used and said it worked.

Usually, they apply a few drops of oil to a cotton ball, put the cotton ball on the skin tag and wrap it up with a bandage.

They leave this on for about 10 minutes before removing it. This should be done thrice daily. It might take a long while for the skin tag to fall off using this method.

Note: Use this remedy with caution. Tea tree oil can cause skin irritations for sensitive skin. Also, do not use this oil for tags around your eyes.

b. Apple cider vinegar

Dip a cotton swab into diluted apple cider vinegar. Then place the cotton ball over the skin tag. Wrap it in a bandage for about 15 minutes and then wash your skin.

Do this daily for a couple of weeks and you should see changes.

The acidic nature of apple cider vinegar helps to break down the tissue around the skin tag, which makes it to eventually fall off.

Note: Just as with tea tree oil, do not use around your eyes.

5. Seek medical help

If your home remedies are not working or your over-the-counter creams have failed you, then you need to go see a doctor.

If you do, you might have to choose any of these:

a. Cauterization: This method involves the burning of skin tags. It is very effective as most tags will fall off within one or two treatments.

b. Ligation: This is almost the same as using floss or string to cut off blood supply to the base of the tag. The only difference is, here, a surgical thread is used, and it is performed by an expert.

c. Excision: This method requires that the tag be cut off with a blade by a professional.

d. Cryotherapy: If you opt for this, a medical professional will apply liquid nitrogen to the tags to freeze them off. This is also very effective and might require just two treatments before the tags begin to fall off.

Your doctor will help you figure out which method will be the safest for you. Also, you should see a doctor immediately if a skin tag itches, bleeds or changes shape or appearance.

In conclusion,

Skin tags usually do not cause any harm to your skin but they more often than not, disfigure the skin.

This is why it is sometimes necessary to remove. But you have to be careful while removing it. you can try out any of the ways I explained. But if it doesn’t work, then it is best that you see a doctor.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I will answer as soon as I can.