So i've had these things all my life and i'm not sure what they are. I'll do my best to describe them. They basically are like...minuscule portions of extra skin. They are little bumps, about 3 milimeters high and 1-1.5 milimeters across. They don't hurt unless I pinch them. Just like skin. They aren't full of puss or a bug bite. For the most part, all i can tell is they are just skin. They've got nerve endings and blood vessels (if i pinch them or try to cut them off they hurt and bleed.) Speaking of cutting them off, I have tried that, but they grow back in the same spot. I've got one on my armpit, one on the inside of my thigh, and another in my crotch area on the skin before the labia. Those are the only 3 that I'm aware of. They aren't really discolored. The one on my armpit is just skin colored and is red if i mess with it and the one on my thigh always appears red. Anyone have an idea what these could be be? I'm not overly concerned.
It sounds like a skin tag. They tend to be light-colored or pink on people with fair skin. People with darker skin can have very pigmented ones- similar to the ones that Condoleeza Rice has on her face. If they bother you, see a dermatologist. They can usually freeze them off. After freezing, they usually don't return. Here's a picture for you to compare- this example if fairly large: http://www.saifeehospital.com/images/Others/Skin Tag- Before.jpg
Yup. that's it. Are the necessary to remove? They don't really bother me, but I don't really like their appearance. Would I be able to freeze them off myself with the OTC wart remover things I see all the time?
They do not cause any problems. If they don't bug you, then you can leave them as they are. They do tend to increase with age. Dermatologists usually try to snip them off but it sounds like you've tried that and they usually return? Usually freezing with liquid nitrogen is the next option and that usually prevents them from coming back. For tags around the eyes or in more sensitive places, electrocautery can be done in the physician office.
ya...when i cut them off they come back. same place. sometimes a little bigger. sometimes they are the same size. so i can freeze without going to a dermatologist? with the wart removing stuff thats OTC? or that won't work?
Kara, what's the difference between them and warts? As I have those too, and I was always told (by my mom/dad) that they're warts, but they don't look like warts, they look like that. And according to wikipedia, they're in the normal places for them to appear :S
The OTC stuff for warts is usually salicylic acid (same as aspirin) or silver nitrate. They're usually not strong enough to remove a tag. It won't hurt to try them but usually they don't work. Even with warts, it often takes a trip to the dermatologist to have them frozen. We don't really know what causes skin tags. They seem to appear on areas of the body where the skin is stretched by movement- areas like the underarm, the neck, the groin. We know that certain things can make them worse but we really don't know the cause. Warts are caused by a virus- usually a papilloma virus. They're passed from person to person by contact (which is why they tend to appear on the hands and fingers) or indirect contact (such as plantar warts that can be passed via public showers). Usually, it's easy to distinguish tags from warts solely by appearance. Warts tend to be tough and shaped like a hill. When you look at a wart close up, it looks like a cauliflower or a bunch of grapes. Warts also tend to be lighter than the skin around them and they can be more sensitive than the skin around them. Skin tags are either the same color as the skin around them or slightly darker. They are smooth and are often shaped like a lollipop in that they have a stalk with a rounded area on top. They're not tough and you can usually move a tag back and forth. They aren't particularly sensitive compared to the skin around them. As I mentioned before, tags usually are on areas that other people touch (not the hands) and they tend to be on areas where the skin is stretched by movement.
