What to expect from electrosurgery for skin tags

A skin tag, also called an acrochordon, is a soft piece of skin that often hangs from a narrow base. The clinician examines it before removal because not every skin growth is a skin tag. Local anaesthetic can numb the area, then an electrical instrument heats the base or tissue so the tag can be removed and small vessels can be sealed.

The site may sting when the anaesthetic wears off and can look red, swollen, darker, or crusted during healing. A small mark may remain, especially if the tag was broad or repeatedly irritated. Removing one tag does not prevent other tags from forming in the future.

Keep the area clean and follow the dressing instructions given by the clinician. Avoid catching the crust on clothing or jewellery, and do not cut, tie off, or burn another tag at home. Reduce friction while the site is tender. Ask when deodorant, shaving, swimming, exercise, or makeup can resume if the area is in a fold or on the face.

Contact the clinic if pain or swelling is increasing, bleeding does not settle with gentle pressure, or the wound becomes hot, increasingly red, or foul-smelling. Pus, fever, spreading redness, or a wound that opens needs prompt assessment. A growth that changes, bleeds without rubbing, or does not resemble the examined tag should be checked.

Ask whether the growth is clearly a skin tag, what removal method suits its size and base, how to protect the site from friction, what mark to expect, and whether any remaining tissue needs review.