Skin Tags (cont.)

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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Skin Tags Causes

Skin tags are believed to develop due to friction between adjacent areas of skin or between clothing and skin. Common sites for skin tags include the underarms, upper chest (particularly beneath the breasts in women), neck, eyelids, and groin folds. Because of the increased skin-to-skin contact and friction, skin tags are more common in overweight or obese people. Although skin tags can sometimes be seen in children, they tend to increase with age and are most common in middle-aged and older individuals.

Studies have suggested an inherited susceptibility to the development of skin tags. In people with Crohn's disease, skin tags around the anal opening (perianal skin tags) are common. The hormonal changes of pregnancy can also stimulate the growth of skin tags, particularly during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Skin tags are not cancers. Reports of skin cancers arising in skin tags are extremely rare.

Picture of skin tags on the eyelid