Skin tags: causes and treatments

Skin tags, also known as acrochordons, are small brown or darker-than-skin tone growths on the surface of the skin. Tags are very common and harmless growths and tend to occur on the neck, under the breasts, armpits, eyelids and folds of the groin. They generally take place after midlife. About 25% of people report having skin tags after they cross the age of 50.

What causes skin tags to occur?

Skin tags are very common among diabetics and obese individuals. Pregnant women also develop skin tags, as a consequence of changes in the body's hormonal levels. Skin tags tend to occur when your skin rubs against clothing or skin. They are normally caused by blood vessels and collagen that gets trapped inside the thicker portions of the skin. For this reason, they are typically found in folds and creases of the skin. Sometimes, they reduce on their own if blood supply to the tissue has been disrupted due to them getting twisted.

What procedures are involved in their treatment?

Skin tags are generally removed for purely cosmetic reasons but when they do become troublesome, as in, they rub against jewelry, skin or clothing, doctors recommend their removal as the area can end up becoming irritated.

The following procedures are performed to remove these annoying growths on skin:

1. Excision - in this procedure the skin tag gets removed using a scalpel.

2. Ligation - the procedure involves the cutting off of blood supply to the skin tag.

3. Cauterization - the procedure involves the burning off the skin tag using electrolysis (process that involves decomposition of a matter by electric current)

4. Cryosurgery - in this procedure, the skin tag is frozen before removing it. An instrument containing liquid nitrogen is used to do the removal.

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Related Tip: How does salt help in clearing skin?

Why are SKIN TAGs so annoying?

A skin tag is a diminutive, harmless, extension of skin that is usually attached from beneath the skin by a tiny support stalk. These skin tags are seen in places which are exposed to frequent friction with clothes or areas that have more skin to skin friction. They hang out from the skin surface. They commonly occur in the neck, underarms, groin, and upper chest. Medically a skin tag is termed as an acrochordon. Often skin tags are also identified as soft warts, fibroma pendulum, pedunculated fibroma, or soft fibromas. 

Reasons why they happen
Skin tags comprise of blood vessels surrounded by skin and loose fibers of collagen. Collagen is a kind of protein located all through the body. Anybody can develop a skin tag irrespective of gender and age, but elder people are prone to skin tags especially those who have type 2 diabetes. 
Skin tags tend to evolve in the layers of the skin folds, where the skin rubs against itself as mentioned earlier, but it is also observed that few individuals get skin tags without any such reason. This is also a reason why skin tags occur more in overweight people as they have more skin folds that are susceptible to chafing. 

Why should you get them removed? 
Most skin tags don't need treatment as they are harmless, but at times people do tend to discard them for cosmetic purpose or may be out of discomfort when they rub against skin or clothing. Checking with your physician in case you doubt the shape of the skin tag and suspect a cancerous element. In such scenario, you will be recommended biopsy for further proceedings if any. 

How is a skin tag removed?
A skin tag is removed through few procedures. Your doctor can consider any of the procedures mentioned below: 

 Cryotherapy: Cryotherapy requires chilling the skin tag with nitrogen fluid. Your physician may spray or swab a little amount of liquid nitrogen onto the skin tag. After the treatment, you may have a small blister which will heal by itself. 
Surgical removal: In the case of surgical removal, the skin tag is cut with a scalpel or scissors. The cut might sometimes be deeper in which case the cut will require stitches. Surgical removal has the advantage of obliterating the skin tag, but there is a risk of minor bleeding. Removal of skin tags doesn't require a full anesthesia. Local anesthesia is sufficient. 
Electro Surgery: Electro Surgery is another remedy where the skin tag is burned with electrical energy in high-frequency. The heat is applied through the narrow stem that holds the skin tag to the skin. 
Ligation: Ligation is yet another method where a surgical thread is tied up to remove the tag. 
There are also natural remedies, such as using lotions or essential oils over a period or also over the counter medicines but then a doctor s advice is always essential to prevent the scope of any scarring, to bleed or other such side effects.

Skin Tags - Get Rid Of Unwanted Extensions

Who wouldn't want a seamless, spot free skin without having to undergo the trouble of enduring the endless assails by ointments, creams, oils and what not. Rashes, burns, abscesses, injuries, wounds, keloids and other skin traumas make the skin unsightly and rather troublesome. While skin eruptions like acnes and pimples are related to the hormonal balances in the body and the blood circulation, there are other skin blotches, which are caused due to external factors. For the formers, blood purifying medicines or palliative creams often abate the same significantly.

However, for the latter group of scars, specific treatments need to be meted out. A large variety of treatments are available for this purpose, however it is wise to first infer the nature and the source of the scar before adopting a given curative method. One practice that one needs to be mindful of is that the scars must be allowed to heal before being treated with any remedial procedures. While a large number of products and medical procedures are available for minimizing the scars, one needs to be discrete while choosing a particular product. Some of the common tactics of reducing or removing scars have been enlisted below.

    Silicone based ointments: Silicone is laden with skin healing properties and is extremely effective as an antioxidant. Thus silicone based ointments, gels or serums can prove advantageous for mitigating scars. One must use it for a prolonged period of time while at the same time taking adequate care to protect the scar from sunrays using SPF based sunscreen. 
    Laser treatments: On certain occasions, one may need more than gels or creams to cure the scars. In that regard, there are a large array of surgical procedures available for grappling with specific types of skin ailments. These are most effective on indented scars. Dermal fillers, fraxels and fat grafting are skin treatment methodologies which can effectively remove scars and rejuvenate the skin. 
    Letting the wounds breathe: Since a lot of wounds have an occlusive texture, piling them up with creams, oils and capsules often block the wounds and deter their healing process. Therefore, it helps to use a gentle cleanser to clean the affected area and letting air to circulate freely.

All About Scar Removal Treatment

Do you have a permanent tattoo which you want to remove because of certain circumstances? According to studies, almost 50% of people with tattoos in the US want to have their tattoos removed via the laser tattoo removal technique.

This tattoo removal technique eliminates your tattoo without having much side effects. In the procedure, lasers are used to remove your tattoo by breaking up the pigment colours of the tattoo, using a high-intensity beam of light. Black tattoo pigment absorbs all the laser wavelengths and is easiest to remove, while other colours can be removed by using certain selected lasers.

Laser Tattoo Removal Procedure-

The number of treatments or sessions you require depends on the colour and size of your tattoo. It may take about two to four sessions in the case of normal tattoos, while for those having large tattoos; it may take more than 10 sessions to get the tattoo removed. A consultation session with a trained professional is required to help you in evaluating your situation and whether you should go ahead with the procedure.

The laser treatment varies from person to person and depends on factors such as age, size and type of the tattoo. The patient s skin colour and depth to which the tattoo pigment extends also affects the removal process.

Here are the steps involved in a laser tattoo removal process:

Protected eye shields are placed on you.

Your skin s reaction to the laser is tested for determining the amount of energy to be used.

A handpiece is placed again on your skin surface, which activates the laser light. This process is extremely painful to undergo.

Small tattoos require less pulses while large tattoos require much more. After every session, your tattoo tends to get lighter, progressively.

Right after a treatment session, an ice pack is applied to your skin to soothe the areas treated. You will have to apply a topical antibiotic ointment and a bandage is used to protect the treated skin region. You must cover the area using a sunblock whenever you go out in between the treatment sessions.

In some cases, local anesthesia is used during the treatment procedure.

Because of modern-day technology, laser tattoo removal is now a common thing undertaken by many who want to get rid of their unwanted tattoos. The procedure is safer than the traditional tattoo removal methods like excision, salabrasion and dermabrasion.

Tattoo Removal: How To Get It Done?

Stress and fatigue as well as hormonal issues and genetically inherited conditions may leave a mark on our faces, and the eyes in particular. We talk about getting under-eye puffiness, yet we fail to notice that some of us also experience the ill effects of another issue: eyes that look hollow. This issue is particularly evident on more thin faces. As a general rule, ladies who experience them say that they look tired even when they aren't. For some ladies, they start seeing hollows in the under eye area in their mid-30s. As they grow older, the procedure accelerates and gives them a tired and old appearance.

Causes: So what causes a hollow to happen? The fat cushions that line the drop and start to leave the area with an empty look. This creates a less than flattering look which also looks dark and unsightly. Some of the fixes for this problem are as follows:

Filler Fix: Hyaluronic corrosive is successful in filling the affected areas under the eyes, when the tissue is injected with it. The best choice is hyaluronic corrosive filler, for example, Restylane or Juv&eacute;derm Voluma, in combination with the surface medicines for the skin.

Lasting Fix: A lower eyelift or blepharoplasty surgery can expel any free skin under the eyes that gives a hollow look. The fat can be repositioned or added to smooth out depressed skin.

Product Fix: Applying cucumber cuts and items with vitamin C can also help. It can diminish the dark circles that occasionally come with eye hollows. If you find that you have dark circles as well, a solution of hydroquinone can help up under-eye shadows.

Utilize an eye cream with hyaluronic corrosive as one of the fixings.

Use hyaluronic corrosive alone on the influenced region, being exceptionally cautious not to get it in your eyes.

Some of the natural strategies are:

1. Rest: This is the genuine, essential and a viable home solution for hollow eyes. As said before, a depressed eye usually calls for more rest.

2. Almond Oil: Apply almond oil under the eyes a few times each day. Almond oil is rich in Vitamin E, a sustaining vitamin for glowing skin.

3. Raw Potato Juice: Raw potatoes are equally important to heal sore eyes and dark circles. Cut the potatoes and lay it on the affected spot for around 20 minutes.

4. Utilized tea packs: With rich cell reinforcements, utilizing tea packs advances blood flow. The sore and darker skin gets renewed.

5. Cucumber: Any eye based solution without cucumber is incomplete. Get some rest by setting cut cucumber on eyes and wake up with new, restored and sparkling eyes.

The Best Procedure for Doing Away With Under Eye Hollows

What are dermal fillers + how different it is from botox?

Dermal fillers are an artificial or naturally-derived material used for directly injecting into the skin. These soft tissue fillers are used with the aim to restore your facial appearance to address issues related to facial aging. Depending on the kind of filler that you opt for, the effects can vary from 6 months to 5 years. Nonetheless, they are used for a number of problems associated with facial aging such as:

  for smoothen out and add volume to creases known as laugh lines

  for enhancing thin lips

  for providing shape and fullness to cheeks so as to provide a youthful appearance

  for enhancing the under eye areas to the point that depressions or hollows are no longer visible

  for merging scars from chicken pox or acne with surrounding skin

  for adding volume to your temple or lower cheek area when shifting of fat pads (masses of tightly packed fat cells) underneath your skin surface occurs.

How are these fillers different from botox?

Even though both these procedures involve the use of injections, they are completely different from one another. Botox or botulinum (a purified, natural protein) works by numbing muscles that contract to create facial lines. It is mostly used around the eye and forehead areas for stopping the movement of muscles that cause wrinkles to form. Moreover, it treats active lines, which are visible when you smile, frown or squint.

Dermal fillers, on the other hand, treat wrinkles that are very deep and static, which you can only be seen when the face is in a restful state. Furthermore, it serves to enhance the skin while lightly swapping the collagen (a protein that helps connective tissue in the body to remain strong) that gets lost as you age. When it comes to swelling and bruising, botox reports minimal effects and dermal fillers a certain amount of swelling and bruising that disappear within 7-10 days.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 6 Face Washing Mistakes that are Damaging Your Skin, Every day!

For Your SKIN: What are Dermal Fillers + How Different it is from Botox?

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