Medically referred to as acrochordon, skin tags are benign growths on the skin that resemble a small piece of soft skin that's hanging out. Skin tags are commonly acquired and harmless. In certain cases, individuals may be prone to skin tags resulting in 50-100 tags on their skin. This may be due to various reasons such as an increase in their body weight, genetics, as well as other unknown reasons. Some small tags could rub spontaneously and fall off without causing any pain to the individual who may not even realize they had tags. However, most tags on skin will not fall off on their own, but instead tend to persist once they have been formed.

Skin tags are bits of skin or flesh colored tissue which protrude from a small, narrow stalk and are visible on the skin surface. Tags typically occur in characteristic areas on the body such as the eyelids, base of the neck, underarms, under the breasts and the folds of the groin. Skin tags may vary a little in appearance, although they are typically smooth or slightly wrinkled and irregular. They may also be flesh-colored or slightly brown, hanging from the skin via a small stalk.

There are 3 main types of skin tags that commonly occur. These are the cutaneous tags, genital tags and anal tags. How and where these tags grow is what distinguishes between the three types of skin tags.

Cutaneous Skin Tags: These are typically painless, and will not grow or alter their appearance. These tags will commonly appear in skin folds located on the base of the neck and under the breasts.

Genital Skin Tags: These tags on skin commonly appear in the genital areas of both men and women. Men often develop tags on the skin found on groin folds, while women tend to develop these normally on the outer labia of the vagina. The older you get, the higher your chances of developing genital skin tags. Although these rarely occur in children, they may nevertheless develop.

Anal Skin Tags: These types of tags on skin are normally associated with anorectal disorders that tend to develop due to the presence of haemorrhoids or anal fissures. These may be an indicator of a more serious condition referred to as Crohn's disease, which would require immediate medical attention. Anal tags may become uncomfortable due to itching, or even prove painful to have.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6633826

Clear and fresh skin is lovely to look at especially in a woman's face. This is the reason why women would love to take care of their skin to exude that glow which men love. However, there are cases that in the middle of your pregnancy and when you feel repulsive to you husband, suddenly you see an excess skin developing in your neck, your armpit and in your upper chest. You will surely feel worried.

However, if your excess skin is not painful, it does not become too dark and it slowly develops, you may not need to worry too much. What you are seeing are skin tags.

Tags are scientifically known as acrochordon. They are cutaneous tags that are not harmful. You may not need to treat it because it is not harmful. But, yes, we agree, this is ugly.

You may also feel a little discomfort when your tags rub on your skin or your clothing. If you are worried and want to know what causes tags, there are several reasons.

It may help to know that there is no clear causal factor for tags. While they are prevalent in overweight or obese individuals, it is assumed that these skin tags are caused by skin rubbing with each other. In fact, the common areas where you will see skin tags are in the folds of the neck, in the armpit, in the folds of the groin or under the breast where the underwire may irritate the skin.

Again, there is no clear cause of tags. It happens to both men and women. It happens in any age but of course, as you get older, say beyond 60, you get more of these tags.

It may be due to the wrinkling of the skin. If you experience skin tags and you see more than one, more than five or even more, do not worry. The prevalence of skin tags to people varies. Some may get a few which falls off easily. They may not even notice they had skin tags.

Other people are more prone to these growths and they may be seeing more than fifty to a hundred of these cutaneous tags.

Another common cause of tags is in diabetics. It may be due to insulin resistance. If you are diabetic, it may help to visit a doctor to ensure that the growth in your skin is nothing but skin tags. This is recommended just to be sure that you do not have any serious problems that show in your skin.

Pregnant women are also prone to these growths but usually after giving birth, they diminish and fall off easily.

There are other causes of skin tags but it may help to know that they are not harmful. You may leave them untouched and go on with your life with no problem.

However, for aesthetic reasons, you may want to get rid of them. They are easily removed by over the counter remedies or incision. You can do it yourself or you can ask a physician to help you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4892292

Skin Tag Treatment

Skin tags can remain forever without causing a problem. They are generally removed if they become irritated or painful, or simply as a cosmetic choice. Most people seek medical treatment to have a skin tag surgically removed. This can be accomplished in several ways:

1. Snipping off with a scalpel or scissors using a local anesthetic if needed.

2. Freezing or cryotherapy, is another option. However, this is not a first choice since it is not as precise as snipping and could cause damage to surrounding tissues. Also, this method can cause some pain and discomfort.

3. Skin tags can be removed with a laser. There may be some pain involved, but it can easily be treated with over-the-counter pain medications. This is probably the most costly method.

4. The suture method is simple. It merely requires the skin tag to be tied off with a surgical suture. This causes the blood supply to be cut off from the skin tag causing it to die and fall off.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/328141