Anyone know a topical remedy to get rid of skin tags?

[daisyduck123]

I would be willing to try the nail polish if it works.

Dr. Gott recommends it according to this:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060906143913AAp0oFw

 

[krcit]

I had one cut off at the derm. It was painless and took a second

 

[matthew&haleysmom]

DD had one when she was 8. Her pediatrician cut it off. DD said it was painless.

 

[OK!]

Thanks for all of these suggestions! I've had one on my hip for YEARS, and I hate it. I just always assumed I'd have to get it excised or something like that, so I left it alone. Just tied a thread around it, though, so I'm hoping like heck it'll be gone soon!

 

[starann]

I had mine removed by the dermatologist. I went in for something else and mentioned how they bothered me (I had one on my neck that would get caught on sweaters) and she 'burned' them off. It was completly painless and seh was able to get a bunch off at 1 visit. My insurance covered it as a dr copay, so all I paid was $20.

I see her again next week and it seems like I might need more removed!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I have covered them in bandaids or duct tape for a few days and that did the trick too.

Duct tape-I'll bet that would work. Thanks for the idea! I swear by duct tape to get rid of troublesome warts on my hands. I remember one showed up when I was in WDW, and I was trying to find a little piece of duct tape from someone in maintenance at BCV. I was shocked that I couldn't find anyone with any duct tape.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

I did the nail polish thing on one that was on my arm and it actually worked!!!

 

[bambii]

the nail polish trick now how long does it take and im not tell my DH im seeing if he will notice they are gone...

 

[bumbershoot]

I am NEVER a person to tell anyone to see an MD, but seriously, see a dermatologist! This string-tying stuff is making me get the shivers.

I had some after pregnancy, DS would twiddle them while he nursed, it drove me batty. I went to the derm, he put a bit of lidocaine in them (he was brilliant about that, starting pushing the plunger thing as he put the needle in and I didn't feel it AT ALL...sometimes old school dudes really know what they're doing) and I believe he snipped them with scissors but I didn't look. He also did a mole that I really loved (on my shoulder, guys always seemed to love it) but was starting to get mushy and weird.

About an hour later it stung like crazy as the lidocaine wore off, but otherwise it was absolutely fine.

It was 100% covered by my insurance, even the skin biopsy they did for each of them (especially the mole).

 

[nateryan]

I had mine removed by the dermatologist. I went in for something else and mentioned how they bothered me (I had one on my neck that would get caught on sweaters) and she 'burned' them off. It was completly painless and seh was able to get a bunch off at 1 visit. My insurance covered it as a dr copay, so all I paid was $20.

I see her again next week and it seems like I might need more removed!

So, what Medical Insurance do you have? My dermatologist will remove them for me and try hard to get the Insurance to pay for it. But, I do have to prepare if they don't...$125.00. Thanks!

 

[goofyernmost]

Not to let the cat out of the bag, but it depends on just how clever your Doctor is. All he has to do is send one or two out to the lab to test for melanoma or whatever the disease of the week is, and it is paid for. A little to the left of honest, but it works. It is then for medical purposes instead of cosmetic.

 

[bound2travel]

This thread has given me the shivers as well. I have several skin tags and think I would rather see a dr. I just don't know about trying strings, duct tape or using nail polish. Somehow that just seems risky for infection or something. Has anyone had one grow back after removing them yourself?

 

[Wishing on a star]

My dermatologist would want a fortune to remove mine.

I have lucked out with a couple of mole type things. One of which was clearly just a non-maligant skin thing. She did push the envelope on getting those mostly covered by my insurance. (like goofernmost just posted) But, I know that she wouldn't do this for these skin tags. Ohhh well...

I am going to try the nail polish.
And, if needed, order that dermatend.

That dumb compound W dryed hard and white like superglue.
This did kind of dry them up, so that being the case, I took a pair of tweezers and just grabbed them. But, I don't think it got them all.

 

[goofyernmost]

This thread has given me the shivers as well. I have several skin tags and think I would rather see a dr. I just don't know about trying strings, duct tape or using nail polish. Somehow that just seems risky for infection or something. Has anyone had one grow back after removing them yourself?

Trust me when I tell you they grow back no matter who takes them off. Now to get it totally accurate it's not the same one, but if you are prone to tags, they will be replaced by new ones. No one really knows what causes them, no one knows any cure other than amputation. They suck...they get caught in clothing, are unattractive and annoying.

I have more than I can keep up with so I have basically given up. I used to have a theory about chemical exposure because I noticed that a lot of us Vietnam vets seemed to have them, but I know others that have never set foot in exposed areas and still have them. I guess it's just natures way of telling you you're too old to date.

 

[Rootskate]

Well, I can tell you what not to do......

My husband decided to get rid of the one he had one his eyelid with.............wait for it............a pair of toenail clippers. I about died when he came in the bedroom with blood running down his face and told me what he just did........

 

[Diva of Dragons]

the nail polish trick now how long does it take and im not tell my DH im seeing if he will notice they are gone...

The one on my arm took about a week. Make sure that the whole thing is covered, especially the base. The point of the nail polish is to keep oxygen away from it to "smother" it. I think it works even better to cover it with a band aid or tape. Whether you cover it or not, check it every day to be sure it's covered with polish and add polish as needed.

After a few days, try peeling off the polish. If if it's still really stuck, just add more. Then try again again in a couple days.

Just so you know, the polish does irritate the surrounding skin a bit. It turns a little red but clears up really fast. Oh, and I used one of those quick dry, clear, top coat polishes.

 

[Anna_Marie]

Okay, I had DH tie a thread around one of mine...this was on Saturday. How long does it take to come off? So far it still looks the same.

 

[Barbossa]

My derm and primary care physician use freeze spray to kill a skin tag. It shrivels up and falls off in about a week.

 

[DipsyDoodles]

Not to let the cat out of the bag, but it depends on just how clever your Doctor is. All he has to do is send one or two out to the lab to test for melanoma or whatever the disease of the week is, and it is paid for. A little to the left of honest, but it works. It is then for medical purposes instead of cosmetic.

Skin tags are never cancerous so most dermatologists won't send them out to a lab. Lab work is very expensive and that would actually be insurance fraud. If they are bothersome or bleed at all, tell your dermatologist and usually they will remove them and the removal will be covered.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Okay, I had DH tie a thread around one of mine...this was on Saturday. How long does it take to come off? So far it still looks the same.

I don't know why this cracked me up, but I got a mental image of all these little ribbons hanging off various parts of your body. Of course, I'm also laughing because I've got tons of them and can't imagine leaving anything tied to a bunch of them for days on end, maybe because many of mine are on my neck area, so it would be very obvious to everyone.

And I have to admit, I'm at the idea of cutting them off myself.