Weekly Topic...
Skin
Tags
What
is a skin tag?
A skin tag is a common, benign condition which consists of a bit
of skin that projects from the surrounding skin and may appear
attached to the skin. Skin tags can vary quite a bit in appearance.
They may be smooth or irregular, flesh colored or more deeply
pigmented, and either simply be raised above the surrounding skin or
have a stalk (a peduncle) so that the skin tag hangs from the skin.
Where
do skin tags occur?
Skin tags can occur almost anywhere there is skin. However,
favorite areas for tags are the eyelids, neck, armpits (axillae),
upper chest, and groin.
Who
tends to get skin tags?
They are much more common with age beginning in middle age and
they tend to be somewhat more prevalent in women than men.
Is
a skin tag a tumor?
Yes,
it is in the sense that it is a growth. However, it is a benign
(harmless and not a malignant) condition.
What
does a skin tag look like under a microscope?
The outer layer of the skin (the epidermis) shows overgrowth
(hyperplasia) and it encloses an underlying layer of skin (the dermis)
in which the normally-present collagen fibers appear abnormally loose
and swollen.
What
problems do skin tags cause?
Usually none. This tiny skin growth generally causes no symptoms
unless it is repeatedly irritated as, for example, by the collar or in
the groin.
How
are skin tags treated?
In cases in which a skin tag is irritated or cosmetically
unwanted, treatment may be done by freezing the tag with liquid
nitrogen, tying off the tag with a thread or suture so as to cut off
the blood supply, or cutting off (excising) the tag with a scalpel or
scissors.
Is
there another medical name for a skin tag?
A skin tag is medically also termed a cutaneous papilloma or an
acrochordon. However, a skin tag is best known as a skin tag.
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