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Definition

noun, plural: skin tags

A soft, benign, fibrous polyp sticking out on the skin

Supplement

Skin tags are generally small although a few can reach up to half an inch in length. Thus, they look like bits of soft skin raised from the surface of the body. They usually occur on the face (especially on the eyelids), neck, armpit, inguinal folds, and crural creases. Since they are often found in skin folds and creases, skin tags seem to form on areas where there is frequent friction (e.g. skin to skin friction or clothes rubbing the skin).

Some of them are pedunculated (with stalk) while others are sessile (without stalk). Some of them have the same color as the skin while others are a slightly pigmented.

Skin tags are generally harmless. However, they can be removed as desired. Some of the ways to remove them are excision (surgery), cauterization, cryosurgery, and ligation.

Also called:

• cutaneous tag

Synonym(s):

• acrochordon
• fibroepithelial polyp
• fibroma molle
• senile fibroma
• soft wart