What Causes Skin Tags

An acrochordon, soft fibroma, fibroepithelial polyp, cutaneous papilloma, or skin tag, as it is more commonly known, is a small piece of skin that hangs from the body. While they can show up anywhere on the body, they generally are found in places where skin rubs against skin, such as:

• Armpits
• Eyelids
• Under the breasts
• Neck
• Upper chest
• Groin

They are non-cancerous, or benign types of skin tumours that have no symptoms unless they are consistently scratched, or rubbed, as with shaving, clothing, or jewellery. Skin tags that get very big can have pressure built up inside of it, causing it to burst.

Skin tags are comprised of nerve cells, fat cells, core of fibers and ducts, fat cells, and a covering. Some people get skin tags more often than others, some because of reasons unknown, due to heredity, or because they are overweight. In addition, women that are pregnant or have diabetes seem to get skin tags more often than others do. According to dermatologists, both males and females suffer from skin tags equally.

For some, skin tags come and go without the person even being aware of them. They can be rubbed and simply fall off without any pain at all. For the majority of people, they do not come off on their own however.

Skin tags might have a smooth surface, or they can be irregular in appearance as well. They usually have stalks that raise them from the skin's surface. Most of them look like the colour of flesh, or with brown in them. They usually start out small, and flat like a bump. They can be from 2 mm to 1 cm, and some have been as large as 5cm.

Skin tags are extremely common, and usually start after midlife. They are thought to be caused by blood vessels and collagen bunches that become trapped in thicker pieces of skin. Some of the risk factors for skin tags are:

So what causes skin tags to form?

• Being obese or overweight, most likely because they have a greater amount of skin creases and folds
• People that have diabetes
• Pregnant women
• When steroids are used illegally, since they interfere with the muscles and body, making collagen fibers bond together, forming skin tags.
• People that have human Papilloma virus

The national Institutes of health say that around 46% of people suffer with skin tags. They often appear in groups, and women should be careful when shaving under the armpits, so as not to accidentally cut one off.

Although the majority of skin tags are harmless, people often have them taken off due to cosmetic reasons. Often, people that have big skin tags have then taken off when they are rubbed by clothing and irritated. They may also have them taken off to make shaving easier. They can be removed by:

• Excision- this is where the skin tag is cut out
• Ligation- the blood going to the skin tag is cut off
• Cryosurgery- the skin tag is frozen off with a probe that has liquid nitrogen
• Cauterization- heat is used to remove skin tags with this procedure

While skin tags are harmless, they can be extremely irritating, and sometimes need to be removed by a person trained in these procedures. I hope this at least answers some of your questions to " what causes skin tags "?