Skin & Complexion
Soft, benign skin growths that commonly develop where skin rubs against skin or clothing.
Physician-led assessment · individualized care · Vancouver clinic
Understanding Skin Tags
Maybe your necklace keeps snagging on a tiny flap of skin, or you've noticed a few soft little bumps in your underarm or along your eyelid. Skin tags are incredibly common, completely harmless, and simple to remove once we've had a look.
They're soft outgrowths that form where skin rubs on skin or clothing, which is why they gather on the neck, underarms, eyelids and groin. They aren't caused by a virus and aren't contagious. They become more common with age, in skin folds, during pregnancy and alongside insulin resistance. Because moles, warts and, now and then, a skin cancer can look like a tag, we check any unusual or changing one first. After that, removal is quick and straightforward.
Causes and Contributing Factors
Skin tags are thought to result largely from friction, which is why they tend to appear in skin folds and areas where skin rubs together. They become more common with age and are seen more often in people who are overweight, during pregnancy, and in those with insulin resistance or diabetes. A genetic tendency also appears to play a role. They are not contagious and are not caused by a virus.
Signs and Symptoms
Skin tags typically have a recognizable look:
They may become tender or inflamed if twisted or caught on clothing or jewellery.
Assessment
At your consultation, our physicians look at each tag's shape, stalk and location, which usually makes it easy to tell apart from a wart or mole. If one looks unusual, has changed, or is dark or firm, we take a closer look and may suggest a biopsy before removal. Then we plan around how many tags you'd like gone, where they rub, your timing and your budget.
Cosmetic consultations are complimentary.
Prevention and Ongoing Care
Keeping skin folds clean, dry and comfortable helps reduce the friction that skin tags tend to form in. Soft, well-fitting clothing and a gentle moisturizer where skin rubs can make tags less irritated between visits. Our team can recommend products from our online shop that suit your skin.
Treatment Options
These are some of the options connected to this concern. The appropriate plan depends on assessment, suitability, and your goals.
Our physicians treat selected benign skin lesions in clinic. Once we've confirmed they're skin tags, our minor skin-lesion treatment removes them quickly, with tools such as the Secret PRO Surgi handpiece where it suits the area. Removal is your choice for comfort or appearance, and small tags that don't bother you can simply be left.
For the fuller picture, explore the treatment pages above or discuss the options during a consultation.
Medical Assessment
Have a supposed skin tag checked if it bleeds, grows, changes colour, becomes painful, or doesn't have the typical soft, stalked look, as these features suggest a different kind of growth. A sudden increase in the number of skin tags is also worth mentioning to your doctor. Removing tags at home is best avoided because of the risk of bleeding, infection and a missed diagnosis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Skin tags themselves are benign. Other growths can look similar, though, so an uncertain or changing one is worth checking with one of our physicians before it's treated as a harmless tag.
Skin tags tend to form where skin rubs, and they're more common with age, extra weight, pregnancy and insulin resistance, often with a family tendency. A properly removed tag doesn't usually return in the same spot, but new ones can appear elsewhere, and they're just as easy to remove.
Removal is quick and done in the clinic once your physician has confirmed the growths are skin tags. The method, comfort measures and cost depend on how many tags you'd like removed and where they are. We go through all of it at your consultation so you know exactly what to expect.
Physician Assessment
An assessment can help clarify what may be contributing, which options may be appropriate, and what a reasonable next step could look like for you.
Visit Our Clinic
Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic combines medical assessment, individualized planning, physician oversight, and a broad range of treatment options in its Vancouver clinic.
Bring your questions, treatment history, and goals. Your provider can help you understand appropriate options, expected recovery, and realistic outcomes.
Make an Appointment
Use our consultation form below and the clinic can guide you toward the appropriate starting point.
