Why do I get skin tags? They are just small benign growths that hang from your skin and, from a distance, look quite similar to warts. Skin tags are a surprisingly common complaint, but they are not in any way harmful to your overall health.
They aren’t a health problem but may be a sign of pre-diabetes. Ordinarily, they develop in folds or creases of the skin, so you should expect to find them in your armpits, under breasts, in the groin area, on eyelids, the face, neck, and legs.
[two_third_first]For many people, they are a cosmetic problem because they don’t look nice, and you can get an infected skin tag if they become irritated. For these reasons, you may decide to get them treated.
One of the most effective ways to get rid of skin tags fast is applying tea tree oil to the affected area. The application of Australian tea tree oil is a good option because it’s natural, it works and affordable.[/two_third_first]
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Why Do I Get Skin Tags?
If you have noticed that you have one or more of them, you may be wondering why you get them. Well, you can get them for many reasons, but doctors are not entirely sure what causes them to develop.
- Skin-on-skin contact. It is believed that it might have something to do with skin rubbing on other skin when you consider the areas that are most commonly affected.
- Genetics. It has been noticed that they run in families, so genetics could play a part in why you get them as well.
- Diabetes. People with diabetes and obese people often get them. The reason why they are so common among overweight people is that they tend to have more folds and creases in their skin, so there are more areas of skin that rub together and rub against clothing.
- Getting older. Age may also play a part in their development because they are common among older adults who are over the age of 50.
- Pregnant. Women often develop skin tags during pregnancy, so it is thought that hormonal fluctuations might cause them to grow. Pregnant women’s hormones, namely estrogen, and progesterone, are always fluctuating and changing and causing other types of skin changes such as pimples, blotchiness, pigment changes, and even changes in hair growth, so it makes sense that tags are common among pregnant women.
- Virus. There have also been studies performed that have shown an association between them and specific forms of the human papillomavirus or HPV, so those viruses may cause them to grow as well. Nothing has been proven.
- Steroids usage. If you use steroids for any reason, you may also be susceptible to skin tag growth. The steroids cause the collagen fibers in your skin to bond together which results in the growth of skin tags.
Skin Tags Aren’t Risky or Dangerous
The thing to keep in mind if you do get them is that there is nothing wrong with you and they are not contagious. Many people who have never had them before and suddenly see one has developed often become worried because they don’t know much about them and they wonder if they are harmful or cancerous. The good news is that they are neither of those things. If you wonder why you get skin tags, go through the reasons listed above and see if any of those apply to you.
Best OTC Skin Tag Treatments
Now that you have gotten some answers to your ‘why do I get skin tags question,’ you probably have others. What is the best way to get rid of skin tags?
There are many different ways you can get rid of them. You can choose to go to a doctor and have them removed there, or you can try some home remedies to get rid of them.
If you decide to have your doctor remove skin tags, they will do it one of a few different ways. They will typically use cryosurgery (which involves freezing off the skin tag). They may also cauterize it (burn it off) or tie it off.
Another option might be just using a pair of medical scissors to cut it off. Dermatologists are usually the doctors who perform these procedures, and they can answer any questions you have about skin tags themselves or the methods used to remove them.
Home Remedies to Treat Skin Tags
If going to the doctor does not sound like something you want to do, you can attempt to get rid of it by trying a home remedy. There are home remedies that claim to work in different ways to get rid of skin tags safely, but listed below are a few different ones you can attempt at home.
You can apply tea tree oil to dry it out and allow it to fall off on its own. Soak a cotton ball in water and then add about three drops of the oil to it and rub the cotton ball on the skin tag. Repeat up to three times a day until it is gone.
You can apply apple cider vinegar to it with the aim of destroying the tissue relatively quickly. You’ll want to use about two tablespoons of the apple cider vinegar and soak the cotton ball in it. Then place the cotton ball on the skin tag and while gently massaging, lightly squeeze the cotton ball to help saturate the skin tag. Repeat up to three times a day until it is gone. It is believed to work for some people.
You can use dental floss to get rid of skin tags by tying it around it tightly as close to the base of the skin tag as possible. After a week, the skin tag will begin to decrease in size and will eventually fall off. This happens because you are blocking blood flow to it, so it is unable to survive. When you get a black skin tag, this usually means that it is in the process of dying.
Stop Treatment If There’s an Allergic Reaction
Whenever you’re trying any of these home remedies, always be on the lookout for irritations or unusual burning sensations or anything else out of the ordinary that could be a cause for concern. If something does not feel or look right, stop treating skin tags and speak with your doctor as soon as possible. Now you don’t have to ask yourself why do I get skin tags because you know what causes them as well as how to get rid of them.