Remove Skin Tags & Benign Moles
What are skin tags?
Skin tags or achrocordons are tiny flesh coloured, finger-like projections of the skin, commonly occurring around the eyes, in the armpits or groins.
What causes skin tags?
They usually arise completely spontaneously, although they can sometimes occur where there is unsatisfactory healing of a wound. They are often multiple, increasing further as the years pass and skin elasticity is lost.
Are they serious?
No, they are certainly not cancerous but can be both unsightly and irritable, occasionally becoming infected following friction from clothing.
How can they be treated?
The most effective and instant treatment is diathermy using a Hyfrecator as this destroys the tag and literally shaves it off using a heated probe. The underlying blood vessels are also cauterised at the same time. Thus, there is little or no bleeding and no need for stitches. Most patients require no anaesthetic at all as it is a momentary sharp prick but some will prefer the use of a special local anaesthetic EMLA cream to numb the area first. Antiseptic cleansing thereafter helps to prevent infection and the small wound will then quickly scab over to fully heal over a period of some 7-14 days. Several skin tags can be removed all in one sitting within about 20 minutes but occasionally they can re-occur in other nearby areas, thus needing further treatment in the future.
Are there any alternatives?
- Tie & Die: One traditional treatment has involved tying the base very tightly with a piece of cotton and then waiting for the skin tag to drop off as the blood supply is obstructed and it dies naturally. However, this method is often painful, takes time and can also lead to infection.
- Snip & Stitch: Cutting with a scalpel blade leads to bleeding and thus stitches may be needed.
- Freeze & Please: Cryotherapy to freeze the tag off works best for the smaller tags only.
What is the cost?
This will depend upon the size, number, nature and distribution of your skin tags or moles. However, our charges start from only £65 for electro-cautery.
Back to top
