Skin tags are small growths that you usually see in those areas of your body where your skin generally folds or rubs against itself. These areas could include your neck, eyelids, armpits, etc.
Though they are harmless, many people want these skin tags removed. When skin tag removal comes, one common question arises: can I cut a skin tag off at home? If you are looking for the right answer to that question, you’re in the right place.
How To Cut A Skin Tag Off At Home | Here Is The Right Thing To Do
What Are Skin Tags?
Skin tags are small growths that you usually see in those areas of your body where your skin generally folds or rubs against itself. These areas could include your neck, eyelids, armpits, etc.
These skin tags are usually small, soft, and harmless. You can find them slightly hanging from your skin like tags, and that’s how they got the name – skin tags. Most of these skin tags are not worrisome; the only concern they could create is the annoyance of seeing them or their unsightly presence.
Is It Necessary To Remove Skin Tags?
Removing skin tags isn’t really necessary because they don’t usually cause any medical risk. However, sometimes it turns out that these skin tags are bothering you. So, if discomfort is the case, you can consider removing your skin tags under proper supervision or guidance.
Since it should be about what makes you feel comfortable and confident about yourself, it should not mean that you take risks. Because removing skin tags isn’t an easy task. You need proper measures and safety concerns before you do so.
Can I Cut A Skin Tag Off At Home?
To be honest, you can actually cut a skin tag at home, but under certain circumstances. It’s more like you CAN cut a skin tag off at home, but you SHOULD NOT. This is because of the risks involved, and one of the main things you need to note and understand is that skin tags are vascular; they can be connected to the blood supply.
So when you cut your skin tag, there might be chances of you cutting off those tiny blood vessels, which can lead to bleeding. In fact, not using hygienic and sterile products can also worsen the situation.
Potential Side Effects Of Cutting A Skin Tag At Home
Here are some of the common side effects that can happen when you randomly decide to cut off a skin tag at home.
- Bleeding: This is one of the most important and common side effects. Sometimes, people tend to cut off their blood vessels, unintentionally, of course, leading to bleeding. This usually happens in cases of large skin tags.
- Infection: when you don’t use hygienic and sterile methods to cut the skin tag off, then you may pave the way for bacteria and infection through the wound.
- Scars: Not removing the skin tag properly can give you scars.
- Lack of information: improper knowledge or lack of information can either give you bruises, remove the skin tag incompletely, or, in some cases, lead to the misidentification of a skin tag.
It is always best to consult your healthcare professional to remove skin tags, especially the larger ones. However, if you still want to try removing skin tags at home, then here are a few methods that can, to a certain extent, help you with the removal process.
Clipping Or Cutting
There are hundreds of users who have posted their stories of randomly cutting off their skin tags with scissors. Well, some ended with good results, but some of them, well, they’d probably wish they never did that.
Method: However, here’s how you can remove a skin tag, which should be small, with the help of sterilized scissors that can help cut the skin tag from its base. You can use numbing creams, too. This process is literally snipping off the skin tag from its base.
You can try cutting off skin tags with scissors only when the skin tag is small because when there are larger skin tags with thicker stalks, this would mean the blood vessel connected is wider, too. And if you accidentally cut the wide blood vessel, there is more and more bleeding.
Dental Floss
Here’s another method people have tried to remove their skin tags at home: thread or dental floss. This is a long process; yet again, it can be risky because it can cause infections or bleeding.
Method: you’d need to take dental floss, small thread, or string. All you gotta do is wrap this thread around your skin tag tightly. Ensure it is tight enough because the main agenda is stopping the blood supply. After a few days or a few weeks, the skin tag might dry up and eventually fall off.
However, this may not be safe in cases where these skin tags are near sensitive areas like your eyes. You never know if stopping the blood flow can affect the nearby areas.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Though there is little to no evidence about apple cider vinegar being effective in removing skin tags, it is commonly used by many people as an ‘at-home’ remedy. The main idea behind this is that vinegar might end up breaking down the tissues of the skin tag. This breakdown can help remove the skin tag.
Method: You can take a cotton ball, dip it in ACV, and place it on the skin tag for about 8-10 minutes daily. This can help the skin tag to fall off.
However, this should not be used by people with sensitive skin, as apple cider vinegar can be too strong.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is another natural method of removing skin tags at home. Just like ACV, there is no proof that this effectively removes skin tags. Tea tree oil has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that ensure your skin won’t feel burned.
Method: Take a cotton ball and soak it with tea tree oil. Place it on the skin tag for about 5-10 minutes. Try doing this daily. The results can take a lot of time. In fact, not everyone can get the desired results.
Over-The-Counter Products
Here’s a somewhat safer option for removing skin tags at home. Over-the-counter products have been going quite viral among people who want to effortlessly and painlessly remove skin tags at home. Some of these are mentioned below.
Cryotherapy/Freezing Kits
Products like Dr. Scholl’s Skin Tag Remover use cryotherapy to remove skin tags at home. They use extremely low temperatures to freeze the skin tag. Then, within a few days, the skin tag might get dark and dry and then fall off.
However, make sure to use skin tag removers that are FDA-cleared and have positive reviews, and check for their ingredient list to avoid any sort of allergic reactions.
Skin Tag Removers
These come in the form of serums, oils, or patches. They are formulated specifically with ingredients that can dry off the skin tag. Moreover, most of these skin tag removers also contain ingredients that help with moisturization since the skin can get too dry. These skin tag removers also take care of the entire healing process.
However, don’t forget to read the customer reviews and experiences, check your skin suitability and tolerability, and check the location of your skin tag, and then go ahead with these products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to cut off a skin tag yourself?
It is not safe to cut a skin tag all by yourself. A risk is always involved because you are dealing with your skin directly or indirectly. There can always be blood vessels that can be cut through when you cut off the skin tag, leading to bleeding, scarring, infections, and so on. Always consult a healthcare professional, especially when you are dealing with large skin tags or skin tags located in sensitive areas.
Will a skin tag grow back if I cut it off?
Skin tags generally do not grow back; however, in some cases where you might end up removing these at home, there is a chance of incomplete removal. In such cases, there is a possibility of the skin tag coming back.
Do skin tags bleed when cut off?
Generally, yes, skin tags do bleed when you cut them off. They are connected with blood vessels, so when you are cutting a skin tag, you are cutting these vessels. In worst cases, these blood vessels can end up being wide and cause a lot of bleeding. That’s why it is always risky to remove skin tags at home.
Final Words
So, can I cut a skin tag off at home? I believe you have got the answer. You need to know and understand what you are doing before you do anything because, as you know, prevention is better than cure!
Summarizing the above-mentioned points, your key takeaway should be that cutting your skin tag off at home is unsafe. However, there are a few ways you can do so. Among all these methods, cutting, clipping, or using dental floss are the most risky and dangerous ones.
You can always opt for skin tag removers in the form of serums, oils, freezing kits, and so on. They are painless, and if they don’t contain any allergic ingredients, you can remove the skin tags at home without spending hundreds! You can also try natural or essential oils, which may have low-risk factors.
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