Unlimited removal

 CEBU, Philippines - I was on my way to getting a long-deserved foot scrub at a mall when I chanced upon a sign hung on a beauty clinic door: “Unli removal of warts for P1,000 only.”

Eager to learn more of the promo, I checked with the front office attendant if the service meant “removal of skin tags, and not warts per se.”

“Para warts siya Ma’m,” the attendant replied. “The ones that look like moles.”

“But these are skin tags,” and I showed her these oval flaps of tissue that hang from the skin on a tiny stalk around my neck.

“O kana siya, warts!”

* * *

Skin tags are often mislabeled as warts.

Skin tags, according to WebMD, may appear alone or in a group. “Typically, they’re the size of a grain of rice, but they can be smaller or larger. Rarely, they can get as big as a grape. They’re common too and almost half of all people have a skin tag at some point in our lives.”

Skin tags are harmless, though. That’s why there’s usually no medical reason to remove them. People tend to get skin tags removed only if they’re unsightly or annoying.

What causes  skin tags?

WebMD explained that even experts are not sure exactly why skin tags form. “They seem to be linked to a mix of genetics and environment. Friction, either from rubbing against clothing or skin, seems to be a trigger. Hormone changes may affect the risk too.”

Further, it is learned that skin tags aren’t contagious.

Skin tags are known in the medical community as acrochordons. Scientists also call them fibroepithelial polyps or cutaneous papillomas. “Technically, skin tags are considered a type of tumor, but they are not cancerous,” WebMD clarified.

How can skin tags be removed?

In most cases, doctors will just clip skin tags with a pair of surgical scissors. But larger skin tags may need minor surgery. Some doctors use cryotherapy to freeze the tissue. Others opt for electrical current (electrocautery) to burn the tag. “However, freezing or burning the tag may not work as well and can discolor the skin. Skin tags on the eyelid may need special treatment by an ophthalmologist,” WebMD warns.

Traditional home remedies in removing skin tags include tying a string around them or a dental floss to cut off the supply of blood, applying nail polish, shaving them off with a razor or cutting them off with a pair of scissors. But it’s better to have a professional skin doctor (dermatologist) examine and remove a skin tag than to treat it on our own to prevent creating other risks.

So what are warts then?

According to Medical News Today, warts are typically small growths that appear on a person’s hands or feet and look like a solid blister or a small cauliflower. They may also appear in other parts of the body.

“Warts have a rough texture and are caused by viruses, particularly one of several kinds of HPV (human papillomavirus). The virus causes keratin, which is a hard protein on the top layer of the skin, to grow too fast. Warts are not the same as moles. Moles are dark and may become quite large, while warts are nearly always small and have the same color as the person’s skin.”