Dr. Michael Tirgan, MD - New York City

Skin Growth Removal / Skin Tumor Treatment; One Patient at a Time.

skin tags:

Skin tags are small flaps of skin that protrude from, and are attached to the skin.  Skin tags are  always raised from the surface of the skin and often have a fleshy stalk.   The image below depicts several small skin tags on the eyelids.  When skin tags are this small, they can easily be treated with cryotherapy.

Skin tags vary in size, color and shape. Some skin tags are very small and are hard to see, other skin tags can be quite sizable and reach the size of a mushroom.  When skin tags become that big, they are often called skin polyp.  Below is an image of a skin polyp that had grown in the upper thigh, in the back.  A poly this size can cause obviously pain and discomfort, as it may get caught when the person sits on it.  Best treatment for skin polyps is to simply remove them with an excision.  This is done under local anesthesia.  he skin may need to be sutured after the polyp is removed.

Most skin tags are smooth and as you touch them, they feel like perfectly normal skin, while other skin tags are irregular, rough and even bumpy. Some skin tags are flesh colored, while others contain dark pigment, and as a result, they look brown or darker than person's skin. Most skin tags have have a stalk, and look like a small piece of soft, hanging skin.  and some skin tags are rather flat and have a wide base.
 

Skin tags are due to excess growth of normal skin tissue.  Skin tags are harmless, although they are sometimes irritated by clothing or  jewelry and can interfere with shaving and other routine grooming.   Skin tags increase in number and size as part of the aging process.  They are often localized and clustered on the lower neck, under the arms and in the groin and genital area.   Long term  exposure to sun, as well as chronic skin irritation can contribute to the development of skin tags.

Skin tags can also appear in genital areas.  Click here to read more about genital skin tags.

I have seen many cases of  skin tags and have heard many horror stories about skin tags and their treatment.  One of my patients told me that his dermatologist treated only one of his numerous skin tag in each visit, running up a huge, unnecessary bill.  A friend of mine told me that his barber, using a regular barber's blade, actually shaves off the skin tags from his neck.  Another patient had purchased a liquid on e bay, to treat her skin tags and her moles.  Just within two months of applying the solution to  her skin, she developed two de-pigmented keloid type scars at the sites where she applied this solution.

There seems to be so much misinformation about skin tags.  If you have skin tags, I’m sure you could tell stories of your own.

Treatments for skin tags and skin polyps:

The safest method of treatment for almost all skin tags to destroy then with cryotherapy.   Applying cryotherapy to skin tags is very simple and excellent results are  achieved in matter of two or three weeks.  This is my preferred method of treating all skin tags.   For large skin polyps, I prefer removing them surgically, by way of cutting the stalk near the skin level and suturing the skin at the removal sits.  

The below picture and video show how  well cryotherapy works for skin tags.  This relatively large skin tag of the upper lid was treated only once with cryotherapy.  Three weeks later, the tag was gone, skin looked great  and the patient could not have been happier. 

Cryotherapy is a non-surgical method where skin tags are simply frozen with liquid nitrogen.  Following a single treatment most skin tags fall off in about two or three weeks. Some skin tags, however, may require subsequent treatments to achieve  the desired results.  With cryotherapy, skin remains intact at all  times, eliminating the risk of infection.

all skin tags are raised and have a stalk. Some skin tags become discolored or even black.  All these skin spots can be easily treated with cryotherapy.  Every skin type may have variety of these kinds of spots.  An individual may have sun spots, skin tags, and moles all at the same time. 

genital skin tags,

Skin tags can also develop in genital areas.  Please click here to read more on Genital Skin Tags and Skin Flaps.

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Copyright © 2011 Michael H. Tirgan, M.D., all rights reserved.