Common, harmless and more than half of people seem to have them varying in many degrees of size, colour and shape. The relieving reality is that they are harmless and can possibly come from viruses, skin contact or immune reactions but definitely not from touching an animal that looks wart-infested. You will not
contract warts and skin tags just by touching warty-looking things or animals, and anyways they are different from one another. They are both harmless, though one of them is contagious… there is still quite a bit of a yikes-factor to knowing that fact.
First off before discussing tips and tricks on removal of the 2 unsightly types of epidermal tissue clusters let’s differentiate them first.
So firstly what are skin tags? Skin tags are common fleshy growths that usually appear on skin areas that experience a lot of folding and creasing and are quite uneven and textured. They can be pretty flat, irregular and/or dangling off the skin like a globule flap of extra flesh. They are usually the same color as your
skin especially if they are not too prominent or could be much darker in an array of browns and maroons. Acrochordon is its scientific name which sounds pretty cool unfortunately; these tags appear commonly within armpits, neck, eyelids and even in the groin area. They should not send you into a panic since they are only unsightly yet fixable and most importantly benign and often painless. Pregnant women, diabetics, being overweight and even heredity can cause skin tags though usually they appear due to collagen and blood vessel build up from your own skin-to-skin contact. They get trapped in little bubbles of thicker skin, though
it depends on what you consider “little” because some skin tags can be up to the size of a grape. They may be normally painless as is but still are made of nerve endings too and can hurt when you try to remove them just like any piece of skin would react.
There was a study in the US the claimed almost half of their country’s population have skin tags due to genetics. Skin tags are so common and sneak up real good on people at times and so you’d expect the have a ton of possible causes and combinations of those causes, though hormones, weight gain, skin folds and
hygiene seem to be the main ones. Obese or overweight people make sense to be prone to skin tags since they have more folds and creases and are hormonally imbalanced too of course. Pregnant women are at risk due to the changes in hormones as well and their hormones ride a wilder rollercoaster, all being fired up and are secreted into their bodies. And warning to steroid users whom are also prone to having skin tags, steroids cause collagen fibers to bind to your skin which an intentionally consumed product shouldn’t do. Steroids are harmful in many ways and prevent full growth development a lot of the time, they
should just be avoided as much as possible.
They are such an aesthetic inconvenience but they are also quite extra sensitive and are so small, protrude so much and have stuck blood vessels that razors and friction can make them bleed a little or quite easily. It is recommended that you go through some effort to rid of the larger ones at least, shaving and life in
general would be easier without having to worry about bursting one of these tiny ogre spores. Remember that these skin clusters are very normally harmless on their own and sometimes could be caused by a disease or medical condition. Skin tags are not contagious, your body just gives them to itself.
Now let us move onto warts. Unlike skin tags, warts are contagious. Exposure to a wart, such as through sexual contact, can cause new warts to form. They do not dangle like skin tags, but have a cylindrical shape with pink or white hues. They can even appear in clumps, resembling cauliflowers, on the skin. Although they are unsightly, warts are not particularly painful, unless they are irritated through chafing, including genital warts.
When skin warts appear it seems as if they sprouted like daisies but instead you got raisins, but warts are actually an infection in the top layer of skin, caused by viruses in the human papillomavirus or HPV which branch out up to over 100 strains.
The virus could have affected you months ago but they are only
appearing now, it can vary. If you have little scratches or wounds it is an easier gateway for HPV and when your skin gets invaded by the virus it jacks your cells, causing rapid growth. It is nearly unavoidable being all over the place from handshakes to door knobs. That’s why people usually have that one common wart throughout or nearly throughout their lives. At least you have a friend for life.
Keep in mind that little cuts should be disinfected as early as possible to prevent not only warts but any type of infection. Warts are not only contagious to other people but spread fast on you first, they must be rid of immediately for they are inconvenient, unsightly and extra sensitive. It just make sense to rid of warts
right away, not necessarily skin tags since that is for cosmetic reasons.
Let us now move on to removal methods! We start with home remedies first of course before the drug store or doctor.
First off removal approach for skin tags:
Clinical remedies (note clinical, should be practiced by a professional)
- Cauterization- Electrolysis is used here. A very tiny, pin pointed dot of heat on a needle-like instrument attached to a machine that causes the electric current to be zapped quickly onto the cell cluster. You are pretty much burning it off, but safely.
- Cryosurgery- Liquid nitrogen is not just in your ice cream, it can be applied on the affected area with a tiny metal instrument and left to solidify, chipping of that wart or callus.
- Ligation- This process sounds a bit cringe-worthy but maybe you should try it. A small rubber band is tied around the base of this skin mound to end its blood supply causing it to die and fall off eventually.
- Excision- Here comes the scalpel, need I say more. Remember- medical professionals alright?
Natural home remedies: here we are all about this all natural, organic approach as much as possible until the clinic says it’ll get the job done faster and safer.
Here are some home remedies to help.
- Tea tree oil- this wonderful, mild and pleasantly herbal oil is used for many, many skin treatments for different conditions with pregnancy birthmarks being a popular reason to get a bottle or two. Also it is very moisturizing and healing,
adding 3-4 drops on a small cotton ball and rubbing it gently yet thoroughly until you feel most of the moisture vanish can smoothen out the bumps if done twice a day. - Castor oil pastes- should be called a super oil. It is very bitter but oh so medicinal and beneficial, it even makes hair grow thicker. Baking soda is great for certain skin treatments too, if you mix castor oil and some baking soda to make a paste this can remove a skin tag in 2-4 weeks. Citrus juice can help too as it takes away some stinkiness or even better a crushed, good quality vitamin C tablet. A lot of expensive cosmetic products have vitamin C in it and it also
cleans out dirt, muck and bacteria easily. - Apple cider vinegar- just use a small, tightly bound cotton ball or Q-tip to apply, cover and rub on the skin tag which could sting for a couple of minutes, but it is antibacterial. Tags can go away in 2-4 weeks. Lemons, limes and pineapples- now this sounds like a smoothie. The citric acids in strong, sour citrus fruits are a good remedy to make skin tags fade in a few
days to over a week and eventually fading them off more. - Aloe vera gel- aloe vera loves your skin and a handy remedy for burns from the garden. Aloe vera is mild and not athe heavy-kind of sticky so it is easy to apply everyday, a skin treatment paste made with aloe vera and other natural
ingredients are a smart remedy choice too. - Garlic and onion juice- this one I was hesitant to write down because it smells so strong. But if you have no choice and you really want to remove certain skin clusters you deserve to know.
- Ginger- rub raw slices on area for 2 weeks or more. See? Do you really want to do the garlic clove? (though garlic can be eaten raw or half-cooked to boost your immune system)
- Vitamin E- said to be the best remedy, get vitamin E oil and rub on area for twice a day for at least 1-week.
- Fenugreek seeds- this herb contains a lot of antioxidants. Soak some fenugreek seeds in a cup or small glass in hot water over night and sip it for breakfast.
Take note the prevention is the key and even though they are so common natural home treatments are very effective but when it comes to procedures involving invasive instruments a professional should come in.
