skin tags are often referred to as "inflammatory tags" since they are often caused by repeated inflammation. some people are born with skin tags however. the often occur in the armpits from years of using underarm deodorant or shaving around areas where clothing may have rubbed around the anal area from a life of extensive paperwork. they can be annoying they can itch they can get infected and more importantly they can be easily removed. the most common method is a simple excision. once the area is properly numbed by lidocaine a medical provider may just painlessly snip them off with sterile scissors and cauterize the base to avoid bleeding. larger skin lesions (and you can form whoppers! ) may require a few little stitches to limit an ugly scar. they can be frozen off with liquid nitrogen and even pitched to death by using a hemostat. they can come back or new ones can form. since many skin lesions can mimic innocent skin tags it is best to have these office procedures done by a medical professional -- someone who will most likely send them off to the lab for proper pathological analysis.
what causes skin tags?