Sentinel skin tag: what to know

Skin tags, also called acrochordons or fibroepithelial polyps, are soft growths connected to the skin by a narrow stalk or broader base. They often occur where skin rubs against skin or clothing, including the neck, armpits, eyelids, groin, or beneath the breasts. A tag may remain quiet or become irritated when it catches on jewellery, a collar, or a razor.

A clinician may inspect the colour, surface, attachment, and history before calling a growth a skin tag. A dark, hard, bleeding, ulcerated, rapidly enlarging, or irregular lesion may need a different assessment.

Do not cut, tie off, freeze, or burn an uncertain growth at home. Friction can be reduced with comfortable clothing and careful shaving around the area. If the tag catches repeatedly, is sore, or bothers you cosmetically, a dermatology clinician can confirm the diagnosis and discuss removal. Options may include freezing, heat-based treatment, or a small procedure chosen according to the lesion and its location.

Book an assessment if the growth changes colour or shape, becomes painful without rubbing, bleeds, crusts, or grows quickly. Seek prompt care for ongoing bleeding, spreading redness, pus, fever, or severe pain after attempted home treatment. An eyelid, genital, or otherwise delicate location deserves particular care because nearby tissue can be injured.

Does this growth have the typical features of a skin tag? Which removal method fits its attachment and location? What wound care should I use, and what changes would mean I should return for review?