What should you know about cherry angioma skin tag?

Cherry angiomas are commonly red to purple spots that may be flat or dome-shaped. Skin tags are often soft, flesh-coloured or slightly darker, and attached by a narrow stalk, especially in folds such as the neck, underarm, or groin. These descriptions are clues, not a diagnosis.

A dark, bleeding, crusted, rapidly changing, or unusual growth may be something else. A dermatologist may inspect it closely and decide whether further assessment is needed before any removal.

Do not tie thread around, snip, or freeze a growth yourself. A suspected skin tag can contain or sit beside another lesion, and home removal can cause bleeding, infection, and scarring. Photograph a changing area and note rubbing, snagging, pain, or recurrent bleeding.

When removal is appropriate, the method is selected for the diagnosis and shape. Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment may be discussed for a vascular lesion, while Electrosurgery may be considered in suitable cases.

Book a dermatology review for a new growth that changes, bleeds without rubbing, develops a persistent sore or crust, or differs from your other spots. Seek prompt help for uncontrolled bleeding or signs of infection such as worsening warmth, swelling, pus, or fever.

Ask what features support a cherry angioma or skin tag, whether examination with dermoscopy is useful, and which removal method fits the site. Discuss wound care, possible pigment change, and how to recognise infection.