Your skin tag turned black or purple. What does it when your skin tags have become clotted or thrombosed? Understandably, you’re concerned that a dark skin tag might be a symptom of a more severe skin condition, like skin cancer.
Your fears are understandable, so check the signs below:
- Are Skin Tags Cancerous or Benign Tumors?
- How to Tell the Difference between a Skin Tag and Melanoma
It’s unlikely that your skin tag needs a biopsy because they’re easy to self-diagnose, but it’s an option that your doctor may consider. Skin tags are soft to touch (unlike warts), and they hang from the skin by a narrow stalk (known as a peduncle).
If you’re concerned about your well-being, there’s no harm in talking to a medical professional about a skin tag that has darkened. The last thing that you need is sleepless nights. You’ll find that clotted skin tags will fall off on their own after approximately two weeks. If they change color and don’t go away, you should seek the medical opinion of a dermatologist.
You may have always had a skin tag, or it may have just changed color on its own. Although it’s not a concern, the color may have implications for the health of the skin tag. Perhaps it’s become irritated, or there is an infection, for example. If so, this will need to be cleared up before you can remove a skin tag at home.
Let’s look at the reasons for a black skin tag on your face or body.
Skin Tag Was Black from the Outset
- The vast majority of skin tags are the same color as your skin, but a smaller percentage are black from day one.
- There’s no significance to the color, provided that you have correctly diagnosed the skin tag. It might be another skin condition, so you do have to make an accurate diagnosis.
- When an anal skin tag has always been black, it’s likely to be hemorrhoids. This is because the blood vessels are filled with blood due to excessive straining. They typically go away after a few weeks. You can speed up the healing process by applying an OTC cream.
If you do have a black skin tag, and it’s been that way for quite a while, it can be safely removed. The TagBand is an effective removal method. It’s a type of ligation, but it’s safer and more hygienic.
Skin Tag Turned Black Overnight
If it has turned black since you last checked it, the oxygen supply has been cut off, and it’s in the process of dying. Although it may not seem this way, it is good news because you won’t need to get it treated.
You’re probably wondering how this has happened because you haven’t applied treatment. Well, it’s likely that it has become twisted somehow, starving the skin tag of its supply of oxygen. We all move about during sleep, so twisting the skin tag or catching it on something can happen by accident.
If you’ve ever used a process known as ‘ligation,’ more commonly known as tying off skin tags, you’ll have a good idea about how a skin tag dies. Tying string around it cuts off the blood supply, so it turns black and eventually (about ten days later) falls off.
Your skin tag turned black overnight on its own without you knowingly doing anything, but the outcome is the same. A benign tumor, such as a skin tag, is a living part of your body and it can’t survive without a regular supply of blood and oxygen.
Black Skin Tag Fell Off On Its Own
You could wake up to discover that a skin tag that you have had for several years has fallen off on its own. You may feel alarmed when your skin tag turned black and fell off, but it’s not a cause for concern. In short, the skin tag was starved of oxygen, dried out, and fallen off.
It’s no longer a problem, so you won’t need to apply cream or freeze off the skin tag. Something that you’ve unwittingly done has meant that a skin tag has gone away on its own. It does not usually happen, but it’s relatively common after pregnancy (once the hormones have settled down a little).
If the area has become a little red and tender, you may wish to apply a gel (such as aloe vera) to nourish your skin so that it can recover faster. This will be a good idea if you have prematurely disturbed the skin tag as it will help with the healing process and prevent scarring.
Much depends on the location and visibility of the skin tag as to how you choose to proceed. The affected area will start to look much better after a few weeks have elapsed. The surrounding skin will slowly return to its natural color.
Getting Skin Tags Checked by a Doctor
Just because your skin tag turned black on its own is not a cause for concern. It typically means that it’s dying and will fall off. If a skin tag turns black overnight and doesn’t go away after about three weeks, get it checked by a dermatologist. This will also apply if it has become irritated or infected.
Most people will get more than one skin tag during their lifetime. You may be especially prone to them due to certain genetic, age, and health factors, such as pre-diabetes. If you do get a lot of skin tags, it might be worth getting a health check-up to make sure that there isn’t an underlying cause.
If you have other skin tags, they can be safely removed with OTC products.
Will My Skin Tag Grow Back?
If your skin tag fell off, it won’t grow back. Unlike warts and other skin complaints, they skin tags don’t have roots.
The problem is that others can grow in a nearby position. Whatever was causing the small growths to form can lead to new ones appearing in a similar place. This is what creates the illusion that skin tags are growing back, but it isn’t the case.