Description
Small growths of skin that appear as flesh colored "tags" on the skin. They are not cancerous. Some patients can have many skin tags on their body. Being overweight increases the likelihood of developing skin tags. The most common area to find skin tags are the neck and arm pits.
Symptoms
There are no symptoms besides the appearance of the skin tags themselves. They are usually small but can be up to 1/2 inch in length. They are most often found on the neck, arm pits, or other skin folds of the body.
Tests
Common tests used for diagnosis and treatment
Workup:
A history and physical exam will be done. The diagnosis is generally made on the appearance of the skin disorder. Rarely a skin biopsy will be done to examine the tissue under a microscope.
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Pediatrics, Plastic Surgery, Family Practice, Telemedicine Dermatology
Workup:
A history and physical exam will be done. The diagnosis is generally made on the appearance of the skin disorder. Rarely a skin biopsy will be done to examine the tissue under a microscope.
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Pediatrics, Plastic Surgery, Family Practice, Telemedicine Dermatology
Treatment
No treatment is necessary unless the skin tags are unsightly or causing irritation (for example, a skin tag on the neck that gets irritated by a shirt collar). The skin tags can be surgically removed, frozen (cryotherapy), or removed using electrocautery.