Skin Tag Excision in Point Cook

Skin tags are small, soft, harmless growths. Skin tag excision is offered at the clinic for tags that catch on clothing or jewellery, or that you would simply rather not have.

What a skin tag is

It is a small flap of skin hanging from a thin stalk, usually skin coloured or a little darker, and anywhere from the size of a grain of rice to a centimetre or more. Tags tend to grow where skin rubs: the neck, armpits, eyelids, groin and under the breasts. They are not contagious and do not turn into cancer.

Anyone can get them, and they become more frequent with age. They also show up more often during pregnancy, in people carrying extra weight and in people with type 2 diabetes, and some families seem more prone to them.

Growths that can look similar

Before anything is removed, it is worth confirming what the growth actually is. Several things can resemble a skin tag:

  • Seborrhoeic keratoses, the warty, stuck-on spots common in older adults
  • Soft, raised moles
  • Warts, particularly thread-like ones on the face or neck
  • Neurofibromas, which are soft lumps of nerve tissue
  • Occasionally, a skin cancer such as a basal cell carcinoma

Reasons people choose removal

There is no medical need to remove a tag that is not causing trouble. Many people decide to because it snags on a necklace, collar, bra strap or razor, becomes sore or bleeds when rubbed, or because they dislike how it looks.

Please avoid cutting, tying off or burning one at home. Tags can bleed more than expected, become infected or scar, and there is a real chance of removing something that is not a skin tag at all.

Skin tag excision and other removal methods

Small tags are commonly snipped off with sterile scissors, frozen, or sealed with heat (cautery). Larger or broad-based tags are generally cut away after numbing the skin with local anaesthetic. Size, stalk thickness and position all affect which method suits.

Tags on the edge of an eyelid need particular care and sometimes referral to an eye specialist. Any growth that does not look typical is usually sent to pathology so it can be examined.

Worth raising before removal

  • Blood-thinning medicines, including aspirin
  • Allergies to local anaesthetic, antiseptics or dressings
  • Any past keloids or scars that healed badly
  • Other growths that are changing, bleeding or painful, as those need assessment first

Healing afterwards

Expect a brief pinch, a sting from anaesthetic or a cold burn from freezing, depending on the method. Most people carry on with their day straight afterwards, and small wounds typically heal within one to two weeks. Stitches are rarely needed for small tags. A faint mark may remain, and new tags can still appear elsewhere over the years.

  • Keep the spot clean and dry for the first day, or as the doctor advises
  • Let any scab come away naturally
  • Avoid tight clothing or jewellery rubbing on it while it heals
  • Seek care for spreading redness, swelling, pus, or bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure

Cost and other spots

Removal done purely for appearance may not attract a Medicare rebate, so ask reception about fees when you book. If you have other spots you are unsure about, a skin check is a simple way to have them looked at.

Fees and bulk billing

Out-of-pocket fees apply to most consultations, and each practitioner sets their own fees. Bulk billing is available with all our doctors for Veterans’ Affairs patients, pensioners over 65, childhood and adult immunisations and GP care plans. See our fees page or call reception before you book.

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