Skin tags are one of the more annoying skin ailments that you can have on your body. An inflamed skin tag is even worse than a normal skin tag.
You obviously want to know what you can do about an inflamed skin tag, so this article will cover everything you need to know including what to do about it and how to know if your skin tag is inflamed.
Identifying an Inflamed Skin Tag
The first step to identifying an inflamed skin tag is knowing what a non-inflamed skin tag looks like.
Characteristics of a Non-Inflamed Skin Tag
First, a non-inflamed skin tag is nothing more than a growth that grows on the skin. They usually, but not always, appear on areas where two pieces of skin make contact with each other. Frequent locations include the neck, armpits, groin, knees, and back. Though they can appear anywhere on the skin including the face and eyelids.
Adults tend to get them more than young children. However, skin tags do not discriminate based on race, gender, or age. In other words, everyone can get a skin tag.
Fortunately, skin tags do not cause any physical pain or have any negative physical symptoms. They may cause some mental discomfort because they do not look good. This mental discomfort will frequently cause people to remove the skin tag for cosmetic reasons.
Inflamed Skin Tag
Inflamed skin tags are a tad more worrisome and annoying. Not only do they look bad, but they can also cause physical irritation.
A skin tag becomes inflamed when the growth rubs up against something. Most of the time the growth rubs against clothing. Other times the skin tag can twist or get caught in jewelry.
In all cases, the skin tag becomes inflamed because the blood vessels burst.
The easiest way to spot an inflamed skin tag is to just look at it. If it has a red color to it, then it is likely inflamed. An even better way to spot an inflamed skin tag is to simply notice the pain. The inflammation will cause some slight pain or itchiness.
Again, this is nothing to worry about too much. However, it will cause some discomfort,and most people will at least want to make the discomfort go away and probably just want to eliminate the entire skin tag.
Treating an Inflamed Skin Tag
There are a few ways that you can treat an inflamed or infected skin tag. Some of these ways work better than others. There are also some things that you should not do to an inflamed skin tag.
What to Do to an Inflamed Skin Tag
Once you’ve identified an inflamed skin tag the next step is to treat it. Here are a few different methods that you can use.
Freezing Them Off
The best method to treat an inflamed skin tag is to simply freeze it off through cryotherapy. This will almost instantaneously remove the skin tag. However, it may leave a small scar at the site of the skin tag.
Some people may prefer a more natural solution that does not damage the skin. The options listed below are natural remedies that should not have a negative impact on your skin. In fact, some of the options may even help your skin.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a natural remedy to remove skin tags. Tea tree oil is an anti-fungal and anti-herbal oil,and it will cause your skin tag to dry out.
Using tea tree oil on your skin tag is easy to do. Just rub some of the oil on your skin tag before you go to sleep. Repeat this process until the skin tag disappears.
This method of treatment should take around a week for the tag to disappear. Make sure that you keep applying the oil even after the skin tag appears to have gone away. You want to ensure that the tag does not reappear.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar can cure many ailments that you may have. One of those includes skin tags. This method works a little differently than the tea tree oil but is still easy to apply. Simply soak a cotton ball in the apple cider vinegar and then use a bandage to wrap it hold it to your skin tag.
You should let it soak for about an hour. Do this a few times every day until the skin tag disappears. It should take a few weeks. The acid in the vinegar will break the skin tag down. Unfortunately, the acid may cause some slight irritation. This skin irritation is not permanent though and will go away with time.
Garlic
Garlic is another of the more challenging remedies to apply. Again, the process itself is not that difficult. Simply crush the garlic, rub it on your skin tag, and then place a bandage over the garlic. The bandage will prevent the garlic from falling off.
Leave the bandage on while you sleep. Keep doing this until the skin tag disappears. It should take a few weeks before it disappears, but it will eventually disappear.
What Not to Do to an Inflamed Skin Tag
There is really one thing that you should not do to an inflamed skin tag or any skin tag.
Do not pick at it. This will simply irritate it further and increase the inflammation. You may also give yourself an infection if you pick the skin tag. Doing this will not work for removing the skin tag,and it may even prolong the removal process.
Final Thoughts
An inflamed skin tag is not that much different than a regular skin tag. The same process applies for removing it.The main difference is that you should consult a dermatologist to ensure that your skin tag is a benign growth. Fortunately, that is usually the case. However, on rare occasions, an inflamed skin tag may actually be a malignant growth that you want to remove immediately.