Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Skin tags are little growths of skin that are usually shaped like a piece of cauliflower and can appear in the most inconvenient parts of your body - faces, necks, under arms. And, for the ladies, these maddening little stalks of skin often appear under your breasts and around the pubic area. Friction with clothes can cause massive irritation - and bleeding and infection if located where clothes touch your body. Skin tags can erupt in more than one place on your body, and sometimes, in great numbers. They often happen in clusters, and are always rather ugly in appearance.
Your friendly dermatologist can remove these little nuisances easily and quickly - mine were removed surgically, with Novocaine to deaden the skin, and one stitch to close the wound. But, this was expensive, and now I've learned that there are very effective home remedies that you can use to safely remove skin tags.
Make Sure What You Have Is A Skin Tag
This is most important - because skin tags are minor skin growths and things like moles and skin cancers are not. The classic skin tag shape is usually elevated and flat or slightly rounded - similar in appearance to a single stalk of cauliflower.
The size will almost always be less than one-half inch (and often, much smaller). The "head" of this growth is usually attached to your skin by a thin "stalk" called a penducle. The color is most often the same as the surrounding skin, or possibly slightly darker - but not dark.
Moles and various skin cancers usually look much different than a skin tag. If you have any doubt that your growth may be a mole or some type of skin cancer - see your dermatologist! Warts and skin cancers are not to be treated at home!
For those who want to remove their skin tags at home - naturally and easily, I've researched the subject and have come up with a few ways you can get rid of them at home - by your self. Once again - be absolutely certain that you're not dealing with a more serious skin problem before you attempt to remove them.
Dry Them With Baking Soda & Castor Oil
Isn't it amazing - yet another use for baking soda! This method will dry your skin tags up, and is especially convenient if you have a patch or cluster in close proximity. And, both ingredients are cheap and readily available - your local drug store should have both!
Mix the castor oil and baking soda to form a paste - on the thick side so it won't slide off your body. Try to keep this paste on the tags for several hours a day - maybe use a rag or cloth to hold it in place? You should see them dry up in less that two weeks.
Tie Them Off With Dental Floss
This method is a little more invasive than the baking soda/castor oil - and a lot faster, too. You'll need some dental floss or other strong thread, some hydrogen peroxide or other strong anti-bacterial product, and a pair of sharp cuticle scissors. Make sure everything is clean, and sterilized in alcohol, first. Tie the thread or floss tightly around the base of the skin tag, cutting off circulation, and numbing in the process. Then, using the cuticle scissors, cut the tag off as close to the base as possible. Wash immediately and apply anti-bacterial solution - then put a band-aid on and you're finished!
Good old Duct Tape
This method may not work for everyone, but for those for whom it works - they love it! Cut a piece of duct tape small enough to cover the skin tag - and not much else. Apply the tape to the growth and keep it on as long as possible. Replace often. After a couple of weeks, you should see the tag drying up and coming off!
These are just a few of the many home remedies designed to show you how to remove skin tags.By Stephen J. Thomas
