Hanging skin tag: what to know

Skin tags are soft overgrowths of skin that commonly occur where skin rubs against skin or clothing, such as the neck, armpits, eyelids, groin, or under the breasts. They may be smooth or wrinkled and can hang from a narrow stalk. Friction can make one catch, twist, become sore, or bleed.

Not every hanging growth is a skin tag. A mole, wart, cyst, or another lesion can look similar, so a clinician should inspect an uncertain, new, rapidly changing, dark, firm, or irregular growth before treatment.

Do not tie off, cut, burn, or freeze a hanging growth at home. Home removal can cause bleeding, infection, scarring, or confusion about the diagnosis. Reduce rubbing with comfortable clothing and arrange a dermatology assessment if it repeatedly catches or interferes with shaving, movement, or hygiene. Options may include Skin Tag Removal, Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal), or Electrosurgery, selected after examination.

Book a prompt appointment for a tag that changes in colour or shape, grows quickly, becomes persistently painful, or bleeds without being caught. Seek urgent care for bleeding that will not stop with firm pressure, rapidly increasing swelling, pus, fever, or severe pain. A clinician may recommend testing a removed lesion when its appearance is uncertain.

Ask whether the growth looks like a skin tag, whether removal is medically necessary or mainly for comfort, which method fits its size and location, and what wound care is needed afterward. Tell the clinician if you take blood thinners or have a history of raised scars.