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First skin tag!

(56 Posts)
phoenix Wed 25-Jan-17 20:37:10

Evening all,

I seem to have acquired a skin tag on the side of my neck, just sort of appeared a few weeks ago.

It's fairly small, no doubt others wouldn't even notice it, but it's really bugging me!

I seem to be unable to resist fiddling with it blush and even sort of picking/scratching at it blushblush

I am very tempted to "borrow" one of Mr P's disposable razors, slap some foam on and whip it off!

It's not big enough to tie a bit of thread round, and as it is not painful, I'm loath to take up surgery time at the docs.I've seen skin tag removing liquid advertised in some newspapers, but it's not particularly cheap.

Any thoughts?

phoenix Thu 26-Jan-17 19:10:43

smile Charleygirl! It seems I just can't win.

A recent article that I read about grey hair being the latest thing (I have recently let it go grey, much lower maintenance!) and it said never have your hair more than 2 shades different from your eyebrows.

Well, that's a bit of a bu#ger, my eyebrows are still naturally quite dark, and my hair isn't!

What am I supposed to do about that? confused

Charleygirl Thu 26-Jan-17 19:25:27

That is my problem also phoenix. My eyebrows are the shade that my hair used to be. I do not think about it.

Grandma2213 Thu 26-Jan-17 23:29:07

Think yourselves lucky. I lost my eyebrows along with the rest of my body hair (didn't mind that!) Also, unrelated, according to my dermatologist, I have a receding hairline which I believe will stop in the middle of my scalp eventually. None of the treatments I was given worked and it is quite rare she says!! It is called frontal fibrosing alopecia, which is an auto immune disorder.

Christinefrance I could make a list of other results of aging but it's not a competition is it and after all none of them are life threatening. sunshine

Synonymous Fri 27-Jan-17 02:21:59

phoenix join the club! grin
I suppose that once one reaches the age of 'ageing' all kinds of thing start to happen! Amongst others, things fall down or sag, fall out, drop off, wrinkle up, sprout, fade, stiffen or fail to function in one way or another.
I said to DH today that I am thankful that he is long sighted so doesn't realise what has happened to me. He replied, "You will always be beautiful to me" - all was going so well until he uttered the last two words! confused sad

Christalbee Fri 27-Jan-17 10:12:32

I have two skin tags on my neck and went to see the doctor. Refused point blank to do anything to them at all and said I had to have them done privately now as the nhs no longer covers cosmetic surgery!!

greatgranny Fri 27-Jan-17 10:16:15

This is one of the worse things about ageing. What happens to a once flawless skin, and the general decreptitude. I seem to discover a new blemish/mole or whatever every week. I find it very distressing.

Lindill49 Fri 27-Jan-17 10:19:41

You can get a small kit which does the job painlessly - I got mine from Amazon.

maddyone Fri 27-Jan-17 10:24:22

I got rid of two skin tags using the tied off with cotton method. One of them was quite difficult as it was not absolutely flat but was flattish, but it was on my neck and therefore unsightly. Anyway I persevered with putting the cotton round it's base, that was the difficult bit, but it then dropped off about a week later.

pollyperkins Fri 27-Jan-17 10:26:29

I have one on my face wich Im very conscious of. Appeared a few weeks ago. Saw gp and he hs booked me into his clinic where he will burn/freeze it off (not sure which!) he says it will take 5 mins.

Roxannediane Fri 27-Jan-17 10:56:18

When to the GP to ask for removal of skin tags as my granddaughter seems to be fascinated by them in a macabre way! They no longer remove them!! What next???

Yorkshiregel Fri 27-Jan-17 11:28:12

Skin tags will not be removed on the NHS because of this saving money drive. You can get kits from the chemist to remove them but don't be tempted to cut them off because they bleed a lot.

Knees and hips are next to be crossed off the list of things the NHS will treat. If you have one that really hurts then go to the doctor now rather than later. Get in before they drop them from their list of things to do.

Yorkshiregel Fri 27-Jan-17 11:29:54

Has anyone heard of any old wives treatment apart from tying with cotton because with some of them you cannot do that as they are flat to the skin. I get them underneath my bra line because of the friction there.

Yorkshiregel Fri 27-Jan-17 11:32:23

I don't think it is my imagination but I have found that dusting with baby powder in creases actually stops the friction and therefore the skin tags appearing. I have noticed that some of them have just gone overnight when I started doing this, so I am going to carry on for about a month and see what happens.

Nelliemoser Fri 27-Jan-17 11:38:17

If they are small and thin and accessible I have done this by contantly twisting the stem with a finger. A sort of rolling action with my finger tip. Do this regularly several times in the day until it twists enough to stop the blood supply and then drops off.
Not in public though. wink

MissAdventure Fri 27-Jan-17 11:49:49

I'm sure there is an old fashioned remedy which involves putting raw meat (bacon?) on them, then burying the bacon or something?

MTDancer Fri 27-Jan-17 11:56:49

I have had them since been in my 30s. Sister has them too so I think it runs in families

MissAdventure Fri 27-Jan-17 12:00:26

I think beauty salons do skin tag removal.

JS06 Fri 27-Jan-17 12:08:59

www.sterex.com/news/skin-tag-removal/

Advanced electrolysis is the way to go with skin tags, quick and easy with a proficient therapist. I've had a few removed this way, also a mole has reduced in size and had some thread veins on side of nose treated. I'm near Stamford, Lincolnshire - treatment has cost me £38 for 15 min session which is ample time for treating a few skin tags. Hope this helps.

Lilylilo Fri 27-Jan-17 12:36:02

My son tied up my Dil's skin tags on her neck with surgical thread - worked a treat! He's not a medical doc but near enough!

Doreen5 Fri 27-Jan-17 12:53:18

I have a skin tag on my eyelid so went to GP last week to see if it could be removed. He said it could no longer be done under the NHS but I could get it done privately by a specialist, which would cost a lot of money. Years ago it would have been removed by the GP but not any more. Any ideas?

Cherrytree59 Fri 27-Jan-17 13:41:33

Pheonix & Charliegirl I am also a club member.
I'm 58 this year, my tags and general body grumbling and creaking started last spring. shock

I wouldn't worry re eyebrow colour
It seems to be fashionable to have dark eyebrows even with fair hair

Going back to tags
I mentioned the tags to Dr on spur of the moment (at Drs for another medical problem)
I said I was thinking of trying cotton thread as the liquid remover hadn't worked.
He checked both tags which were quite large
I told him that they were actually a problem because my bra was rubbing the one tag and the other tag on inner thigh was being rubbed by jeans and trouser seams.
He told me to book double appointment. & he would remove them
Getting double appointment was the hardest bit!
I think if you were able to say that the tag was causing you discomfort your doctor would be more likely to remove rather than if it was just a cosmetic problem.
I had my tags removed last summer.

gillyjp Fri 27-Jan-17 14:00:47

I am very susceptible to skin tags inherited from my father I believe. Years ago we had a specialist Dr who would burn them off - I had to make a double appointment to allow for time to get this done. However a couple of years ago I went back as I had loads - smallish ones and ones that had grown so much that they got caught on any chain or necklace I wore around my neck. As with previous posters this was now considered a cosmetic procedure and not covered on the NHS.

About 4 years ago my husband was asking what I wanted for Christmas and so I asked if I could try and get the skin tags removed privately. Off we went (Harley St) and I had them all lasered off. There were quite a few and even the little ones which were tiny were lasered. I had a couple of pain killing injections before the procedure and it didn't hurt at all. I was left with lots of little scabs and I had to wear a scarf around my neck to cover these. It was winter so not a problem. The consultant confirmed that I will probably get more but they do take ages to grow. He called some of them 'sun spots'. I now wear SPF 50 around my neck and face which is where I get the majority. One of the best Christmas presents I have ever had - but it was expensive. However I enjoyed the experience of toddling off to Harley St and getting the unsightly and uncomfortable things removed.

BlueBelle Fri 27-Jan-17 14:16:23

Another is age spots I have a couple on my once beautiful face ( not really) and cannot find anything to cover then that doesn't disappear in two minutes flat

Legs55 Fri 27-Jan-17 14:23:46

Problems of ageingsad, not had a problem with skin tags yet, waiting for that little joy. Arthritis since my 30s, worst is my big toe, so painful, good supply of Paracetamol & Ibrufen Gel. Eyebrows are still darker than my hair, not something I'm worried about.

My face is now more sensitive, always wear Factor 30, can't wear foundation as that brings me out in spotsgrin

Still it's better than the alternativehmm

Carolpaint Fri 27-Jan-17 14:42:51

Skin tags, seborrhoeic warts and ordinary warts. GPs are no longer doing these. Seborrhoeic warts are the coloured irregular raised ones can be frozen off by Harley Court who have sessions at good beauty salons, about £150 for about six, skin tags too, although my daughter cuts them off with sharp little scissors and a dab of aftershave (ouch). Had an unsightly SW removed by advanced laser but it grew back. Ordinary warts Dr Scholls freezing kit did the job. All the other paint on stuff did not touch any of them. What a lovely opportunity to set yourself up in a small business. Hope this helps anyone, the seborrhoeic warts used to be called senile warts, grow anytime post 40. Ouch.