What should you know about red skin tags?

A skin tag is a soft, flesh-coloured growth that may hang from a narrow stalk. It can look red when clothing, jewellery, sweat, or skin folds repeatedly rub it. Twisting may reduce its blood flow and make it sore, darker, or swollen. These changes can occur in ordinary skin tags, yet colour alone cannot confirm what a growth is.

A clinician may examine its surface, attachment, and recent changes. A lesion that is firm, irregular, crusted, rapidly enlarging, or unlike your other skin tags may need a different diagnosis and should not be self-treated.

Keep the area clean and dry, and reduce friction with loose clothing. Do not cut, tie off, burn, or apply wart remover to a red growth at home; these actions can cause bleeding, infection, or a scar and may obscure its appearance.

Arrange a dermatology assessment if you are unsure it is a skin tag. If removal is appropriate, options may include [Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal)](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/cryotherapy-lesion-removal/), [Electrosurgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/electrosurgery/), or [Skin Tag Removal](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/skin-tag-removal/). The choice depends on the lesion and its location.

Seek prompt medical advice if the growth bleeds without being rubbed, becomes increasingly painful, develops an open sore, changes quickly, or repeatedly catches on clothing. Seek urgent care for spreading redness, warmth, pus, fever, or severe swelling, which can indicate infection. A red tag near an eye, genital area, or another sensitive site deserves professional assessment before any treatment.

Ask: Does this look like a skin tag? What explains the redness? Should it be examined more closely before removal? Which removal method suits its size and position? How should I care for the area afterward, and what changes should prompt a follow-up?