Skin Tags or acrochordon is a common skin outgrowth that appears like a soft balloon of hanging skin. These tags are harmless and can vary in number from one to hundreds. Both males and females are equally susceptible to developing skin tags. Obesity is also linked with skin tag development. There are certain times when skin tags fall off automatically but most of these need treatment. These are small pieces of darkly pigmented tissues or flesh coloured that stick out from the surrounding skin from a narrow stalk.

These skin tags may be like a pinhead-sized bump. Other than this the tags are of small size ( 2 millimetres to 5 millimetres) in diameter and may become as large as a grape ( 1 centimetre) in diameter or a fig ( 5 centimetres) in diameter.

Skin tags can occur almost anywhere on the body. However, the two most common areas for skin tags are the neck and the armpits. Other common areas for the development of skin tags include eyelids, upper chest, buttock folds, and groin folds. Tags are typically thought to occur where skin rubs against itself or clothing.

These normally occur where skin rubs against itself or clothing. These are normally found anywhere on the body:

• Neck, Armpits are common areas
• Buttock folds, groin folds, eyelids, upper chest are other common areas

At Josan Holistic Hospital, we use a laser that burns the skin tags. These may be easily removed without anaesthesia, but in certain cases, topical anaesthesia cream may be required in areas with a large number of tags. The healing occurs within 4-5 days.