Cited Research
Skin tags are one of the most common reasons adults walk into our minor-surgical clinic. Roughly half of those patients have already tried something at home. A non-trivial fraction of them now also have an infection, a scar, or a lesion that should have been pathologically evaluated and was not.
What can go wrong
- Misdiagnosis — what looked like a 'tag' was actually a melanocytic nevus or basal cell carcinoma.
- Bleeding — vascular tags need cautery, not a string.
- Infection — non-sterile technique near the eyes, neck, or groin.
- Scarring — chemical removers cause unpredictable burns.
What an in-clinic removal looks like
Topical numbing or a tiny lidocaine injection. Sharp scissor excision or radiofrequency. Hemostasis if needed. The procedure takes 60 seconds per tag and heals in days. Multiple tags in one session is the norm.
References & Further Reading
This article is general information about procedures we perform. It is not medical advice and does not replace an assessment by a physician who has examined you. Individual results, risks and recovery vary.