by Jael Gardiner

Created on: November 29, 2010

Skin tags are an unsightly skin problem that causes small hanging folds of skin connected to the underlying skin by something that resembles a stalk made up of nerves and blood vessels. They are almost never cancerous and they don't hurt.

The only problems that skin tags present is purely cosmetic. However, only a dermatologist can ensure that is a skin tag and more dangerous mole. Anybody who is concerned that they may have skin cancer should contact a dermatologit as soon as possible.

People aren't born with skin tags and they tend to develop later in life. Certain people are more likely to get skin tags than others. Certain diseases and medications can increase the chances of developing skin tags, as can being diabetic. People past midlife end up with skin tags very frequently. Almost half of the population ends up with a skin tag eventually. They are very normal and are not painful. They often occur on the armpits, legs and other areas where the skin often rubs against other skin. There are powders that may help prevet the formation of skin tags.

They are not attractive and can be removed fairly easily. Simply tying a thin piece of string tightly around the skin tag for several days will usually cause it to fall off. If a person is too squeamish or uncomfortable doing this a dermatologist can easily remove it. It can be necessary to remove the skin tags if they develop on uncomfortable places such as the eyelids or groin. It is nothing to be embarrased about because many people have them and dermatologists have seen far worse everyday.

Skin tags are caused by skin rubbing against other skin or other materials. Skin gets caught in other harder pieces of skin and forms a skin tag. If it is torn it may bleed and become painful. It may turn black if it twists on itself and chokes off blood flow. When it turns black that doesn't mean that it is cancerous. It is almost never cancerous and not dangerous at all.

A skin tag is different than a wart or mole. A wart is caused by a virus and requires treatment by a doctor or using an over the counter remedy. A dermatologist will freeze it off or pare it off. A mole has the potential to be dangerous and should be looked at by a dermatologist. These skin tags are a normal part of aging that people don't need to worry about because they can be easily and painlessly removed. Using products to prevent chafing will help to prevent these skin tags from forming and dermatologists can remove skin tags as well.

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