Have you ever noticed those tiny, elevated skin growths that seem to pop up out of nowhere on your body, causing discomfort and a blow to your confidence? We’re talking about skin tags.
While they may seem like tiny mysteries, they’re quite common and typically pose no health risks. Skin tags form when the skin rubs against itself, often in areas such as the neck, face, underarms, and eyelids. While some embrace their unique appearance, others may feel self-conscious or seek removal options.
Embracing the imperfections
Growing up, Lwandiso Ngema from KwaZulu Natal, hated the strange skin on her body, especially the visible skin tags. It affected her confidence as a child.
She recalls being the only child in her area with these skin issues, which led to be called “the one with insumpa [warts]”.
“In our culture, they used to say if you want to remove it, you should swipe it with a broom during lightning,” she says.
Ngema tried every remedy she heard of. “I remember once trying to cut one near my lips with a nail cutter but it just got bigger.”
Ngema tells Health for Mzansi that she also has skin tags under her breasts and on her left hip. She hated undressing in front of others, and even in adulthood, it has affected her romantic relationships.
“Over time, I started accepting it. Years ago, they used to call me ‘usisi weNsumpa’ and it made me angry.”
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A new beginning
On 10 November 2023, Debbie Jacobs from Retreat, Cape Town decided to have her skin tags removed. She recalls growing up as a child with skin tags on her face and was never being bothered by them.
“I got a lot of compliments from people who said the skin tags looked beautiful on my face,” she shares.
“[As] I grew older, they started to bother me personally.”
Debbie Jacobs
Her friend, Clarene, recommended a clinic in Maitland, Cape Town for skin tag removal, and Jacobs went for it. She loves her new look and says the procedure took ten days. Each day she felt excited as the skin tags gradually peeled off, she says.
“By December, I had a new face, free of skin tags.”
What causes skin tags?
Skincare Therapist and owner of Lookxury Skin & Beauty, Egray Gabler-Paulse, says skin tags are benign epidermal growths that can be caused by hereditary or genetic factors, hormonal changes in women, insulin resistance, diabetes, being overweight, and friction (in the folds of the skin).
Gabler-Paulse says, “There are so many ‘home remedies’ and I’ve seen a few of them go horribly wrong. It is advised to get them removed by a professional instead to avoid infection.”
She notes that the risks involved in skin tag removal include skin discolouration and possible hyperpigmentation in some cases after the treatment. However, aftercare such as little to no sun exposure and avoiding picking and scratching will minimise the risk to none at all.
Gabler-Paulse notes that, in some cases, skin tags are caused by insulin resistance or the onset of diabetes.
“They cannot develop into something life-threatening.”
Egray Gabler-Paulse
“At Lookxury Skin & Beauty we treat this skin concern with a device called the Plasma Pen, creating a controlled burn (very superficial) in a safe and precise manner leaving the area with carbon crusts (scabs) to heal in 7-10 days.”
Gabler-Paulse notes that the majority of the time, skin tags are benign. However, as a professional, you can tell when it’s “out of shape” or has an “abnormal shape”. “If it is inflamed or infected, we would advise the client to seek medical assistance.”
She points out that although some people are uncertain about having skin tags, they are usually harmless.
She further notes that removal is normally for aesthetic or cosmetic reasons but large skin tags may be removed due to irritation, especially in areas where they rub against clothing or jewellery.
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