Growths & Skin Tags
Skin tags are small flesh-coloured or brown growths that protrude from the skin. They are often found in areas where the skin rubs against skin or clothing and are more common in people who are overweight or with increasing age. They are very common, not harmful and do not cause any pain or discomfort and can range in size from a few millimetres to a few centimetres.
The most common areas to find them are on the neck, armpits, groin and under the breasts although they can also appear on the face. Although they are not harmful, they can snag on clothing or cause irritation and bleeding if they rub on clothing or jewellery. Most people choose to have them removed as they do not like the cosmetic appearance. Small skin tags may be rubbed off or tied off using a piece of cotton, however they can also be removed by freezing them off in a procedure known as cryotherapy.
Cryotherapy is suitable for a range of skin lesions other than skin tags including warts, seborrhoeic keratoses and other benign lesions. We do not treat any cancerous lesions at Cosmedic Skin Clinic as treatment should be co-ordinated through your own General Practitioner. If we suspect any lesion is malignant, we will refer you back to your own Doctor for onward referral. Similarly we do not offer mole removal as these require a large excision.
Accurate and rapid freezing of a skin lesion to cause a thermal shock and tissue death, excellent for small lesions, larger lesions may require more than one treatment and may not respond.