# Who else has skin tags? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 21, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948 "2012-07-21T12:23:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/21 "2012-07-22T03:51:33Z")
I should note that I clean the area and the scissors with alcohol before snipping, and also I keep an eye on the site afterwards. I’ve had some bleeding problems very, very rarely, but never any other problems. And the tags don’t reappear in the same spot. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/22 "2012-07-22T04:40:11Z")
I have one on my neck that has been there for years and a number in my arm pits. I had some burned off with a laser once, but never again. It was like the doctor was putting a cigarette out on my skin. I was in a line at a McDonald’s once, and the poor guy in front of me had _hundreds_ of them on his neck and shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/23 "2012-07-22T05:23:38Z")
Has anyone else had them just go away on their own? I had one on my neck, and one under one arm, and while they both lingered for a handful of years, they’re gone now and I did nothing to them. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/24 "2012-07-22T05:34:16Z")
Here’s a thread from just over a year ago, and my post there links to an even older thread. [Skin tag removal - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=612692) ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/25 "2012-07-22T11:32:23Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Has anyone else had them just go away on their own? I had one on my neck, and one under one arm, and while they both lingered for a handful of years, they’re gone now and I did nothing to them. I had a small one on my hip just disappear a while ago. As for removing them yourself, if you don’t want to cut them I read just tying some thread around them will make them fall off on their own. ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/26 "2012-07-22T18:06:33Z")
does it hurt to cut them off? ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/27 "2012-07-22T18:22:46Z")
Not really. I had one in a _very delicate place_ (I freaked out and thought it was an STD) and when it turned out not to be anything other than an irritated skin tag I snipped it with a little blood and no real pain - and I was braced for major pain. It turned out to be a non-event, pretty much. nothing as bad as the build up anxiety. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/28 "2012-07-22T19:38:17Z")
I have one, and it is right where the seat belt goes over my shoulder. It is very irritating, especially on long drives. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/29 "2012-07-22T22:34:09Z")
I had a crap load in my arm pits and my general practioner froze them while I was there for a checkup. Unfortunately the office coded the procedure as cosmetic and my insurance wouldn’t pay. So I had to pay almost 600 bucks for the,pleasure. And they took more than a month to fall off after freezing. It took longer than doctor said it would. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/30 "2012-07-22T22:50:18Z")
> [@diggerwam](#): > > I had a crap load in my arm pits and my general practioner froze them while I was there for a checkup. Unfortunately the office coded the procedure as cosmetic and my insurance wouldn’t pay. So I had to pay almost 600 bucks for the,pleasure. And they took more than a month to fall off after freezing. It took longer than doctor said it would. When you have something removed from the skin, always say that it gets irritated, painful, and/or bleeds so that insurance will pay for it. Did you ‘persuade’ them to fall off, or just wait? ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/31 "2012-07-22T23:00:23Z")
I told them they would be uncomfortable and irritated but apparently the only option at the doctor office was to code as cosmetic. Trust me I complained. Didn’t work. Once the tags changed color then I encouraged them to come off but that took weeks. Once they changed it didn’t take a week. ---
**Author:** ![Eastblock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Eastblock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eastblock)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/32 "2012-07-24T21:45:12Z")
Great topic for my first post. I usually remove them with iris scissors or a scalpel. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/33 "2012-07-25T01:20:07Z")
I’ve had no issues removing any of the ones EXCEPT the ones on my eye lids. Too much pain. So I content myself with being Mr. Tentacle Eyes. (no, they’re really not that bad, it’s a joke) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/34 "2012-07-25T14:25:35Z")
I have a few that I mostly ignore. A few years ago I had a big one on my back that I couldn’t reach, so I had my doctor cut it off which turned out to be surpisingly painful. It felt like he was doing invasive surgery back there. I recently had a small one growing just above my eyelid which I cut off with clippers, and a small one behind my ear that I kept playing with until it rubbed off (it bled some). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948/35 "2012-07-25T14:33:40Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I’ve had no issues removing any of the ones EXCEPT the ones on my eye lids. Too much pain. > > So I content myself with being Mr. Tentacle Eyes. > > (no, they’re really not that bad, it’s a joke) Skin tags on the eyelid should be removed. They can cause pressure on the eye when you’re sleeping, leading to vision problems. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-skin-tags/628948.md?page=1)