What Skin Tags Look Like

Skin tags can be as small as 1 millimeter and as large as 1 centimeter (or larger, in some cases), says Rebecca Baxt, MD, a dermatologist in Paramus, New Jersey. They are typically the same color as your skin, but they can sometimes be darker. Skin tags can be right on the skin’s surface or “sprout” from a thin stalk of skin.

Skin tags are common on the neck, under the arms, in the groin, and on the eyelids, says Dr. Baxt, as they tend to grow in parts of the body with folds, but they can appear elsewhere as well. Once formed, they typically don’t get any bigger. You may have just one or two, or you may have many, sometimes appearing in clusters. A doctor can typically diagnose skin tags just by looking at them.

Skin Tag Causes and Risk Factors

Skin tags are very common. It is estimated that almost half of adults have at least one skin tag.

No one knows what causes skin tags, but they are more common with pregnancy and weight gain and tend to occur as people age, says Baxt. They are also more common in people with diabetes. One theory is that the friction created by skin rubbing against skin, a side effect of being overweight, causes skin tags in certain people, which would explain why skin tags often grow in body folds.

A small study of 49 patients with skin tags showed that the human papilloma virus (HPV) was present in a high percentage of growths, suggesting the virus may play a role in development.

In rare cases, skin tags may be a symptom of nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), a complex genetic disorder that predisposes someone to developing a type of skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma. Skin-tag-like basal cell carcinoma in childhood may represent a marker for NBCCS, according to one study published in 2001.

Skin Tag Treatment Options

Depending on where your skin tags are located, you might choose not to have them removed. However, you might want to seek treatment for cosmetic reasons if, for instance, you have one on an eyelid and it detracts from your appearance. Another reason to have skin tags removed is if they are in an area that gets a lot of friction, even just from wearing clothes or jewelry, causing irritation and bleeding.

Sometimes skin tags fall off on their own as they get pulled and irritated. A dermatologist can also remove them with a minor surgical procedure, says Baxt.

Options for treatment include cryosurgery, which involves freezing the skin tags, or electrocautery, which burns them off or destroys the tissue with heat. If the skin tags are hanging, cutting them off with medical scissors is another option. These are simple surgical procedures that cause minimal discomfort, minimal recovery time, and minimal scarring, says Baxt.

If a skin tag bleeds or becomes itchy, crusty, or flaky, have a dermatologist take a look at it.

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Resources

Skin Tags. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.
Skin Tags. American Academy of Family Physicians. November 2023.
Chiritescu E et al. Acrochordons as a Presenting Sign of Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. May 2001.

Susan Bard, MD

Medical Reviewer

Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Susan Bard, MD, is a clinical instructor in the department of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine and an adjunct clinical instructor in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York City. Her professional interests include Mohs micrographic surgery, cosmetic and laser procedures, and immunodermatology.

She is a procedural dermatologist with the American Board of Dermatology and a fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery.

Dr. Bard has written numerous book chapters and articles for many prominent peer-reviewed journals, and authored the textbook The Laser Treatment of Vascular Lesions.

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Julie Davis Canter

Author

Julie Davis Canter is a health and lifestyle reporter who works in both print and digital mediums. She’s the author of over 50 books, including some in the area of health and beauty. Davis was the founding editor of Bruce Jenner’s Better Health & Living magazine.

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