Skin tags can occur on any part of the body covered by skin. Common areas for the development of skin tags are neck, eyelids, armpits, and upper chest, buttocks and groin folds. Skin tags occur where the skin rubs against itself or your clothing.
The medical terminology for skin tags is acrochordon.
They are flesh colored or darkly pigmented tissue that protrude from the surrounding skin by a narrow and tiny stalk. Most tags are small (2 to 5 mm in diameter), but some may become as big as a big grape (1 cm in diameter) or even a fig (5 cm in diameter).
What Causes Skin Tags On Eyelids?
- More than half the population has reported to have skin tags at some time in their lives; at various locations, eyelid skin tags are fairly common. Skin tags are acquired and are more common in adulthood and middle age.
- Children and toddlers may also develop skin tags.
- Skin tags are commoner in overweight and obese people.
- Changes in the hormone profile, like that during pregnancy are known to trigger an increase in the occurrence of skin tags.
How Do Doctors Remove Skin Tags On Eyelids?
Skin tags are not life threatening and by and large do not need to be treated. If you decide not to have any treatment, it is a reasonable option if they aren’t troublesome. You may try these home treatments as well as medical treatments to get rid of your skin tags:
There are a host of successful therapies to get rid of a skin tag – removing with scissors, freezing and burning at the doctor’s office.
- Tie off the tag at its narrow base with a string.
- Freeze the tag with liquid nitrogen.
- Burn the tag using electric cautery.
- Remove the tag with scissors, with or without anesthetic.
Frequently, tiny skin tags are removed without anesthesia, whilst big ones need local anesthesia before their amputation. Applying a topical anesthesia cream before the procedure is advisable when there are too many tags.
Usually a dermatologist will help manage the condition effectively; however, occasionally, particularly when you have skin tags around the eyelids and eye margins, you may have to go to an ophthalmologist to manage your case.
There are also home remedies which will help you, such as, tying off the tag stalk with a string and allowing the skin tag to fall off after a few days.
Scissor removal is more beneficial since the tag is immediately removed and there are instant results. The would-be drawback is minor bleeding.
The likely risks that are associated with freezing or burning are temporary discoloration of your skin, need for repeat treatment, and failure for the tag to fall off.
Also, you need to know that some people may require a frequent and periodic removal of the skin tags at quarterly or annual intervals.