What should you know about head skin tag?

Skin tags are soft, flesh-coloured or slightly darker growths that may hang from a narrow base or sit on a small raised area. On the head, they can occur near the scalp, eyelid, neck, or behind the ear, where friction from hair tools, glasses, collars, or jewellery may cause irritation.

A growth that bleeds repeatedly, becomes painful, changes colour or shape, develops a crust, or grows quickly may not be a simple skin tag. A clinician should identify it before treatment; do not assume every protruding spot is harmless.

Do not cut, tie off, burn, or use unlabelled home products on a head growth. These actions can cause bleeding, infection, scarring, or delay assessment of another lesion. A clinician may discuss skin tag removal when it catches, bleeds from rubbing, affects vision, or is bothersome cosmetically.

Depending on its size, base, and location, removal may involve freezing with cryotherapy, controlled electrical treatment, or another minor procedure. Follow wound-care instructions and protect the area from picking while it heals.

Book an assessment for any new or uncertain growth, particularly one that changes, bleeds without clear friction, ulcerates, or becomes persistently sore. Seek prompt care for bleeding that will not stop with firm pressure, spreading redness, pus, or significant swelling near the eye.

Ask how confident the clinician is about the diagnosis, whether the growth needs testing after removal, which method suits its location, what scarring to expect, and how to care for the wound.