Yes, kids can get skin tags. While these small, soft flaps of skin are far more common in adults, they do occur in children and are almost always harmless. Most childhood skin tags are just a cosmetic concern, but in some cases they can signal an underlying metabolic issue worth checking out.
What Skin Tags Look Like on Kids
A skin tag is a tiny, painless flap of skin that hangs from the surface by a thin stalk. They’re typically 1 to 2 millimeters wide, flesh-colored, and soft to the touch. Think of a small balloon on a stick. They don’t hurt, don’t bleed on their own, and don’t spread from one area to another.
Parents sometimes confuse skin tags with warts or moles, but telling them apart is straightforward. Warts are rough, thick, and sit flat against the skin with a broad base. Skin tags are smooth, raised, and dangle from a narrow connection point. Neither warts nor skin tags grow hair, but moles sometimes do. If you’re unsure what you’re looking at, a pediatrician can usually identify it on sight.
Where They Typically Appear
Skin tags grow in areas where skin rubs against skin or clothing. In a pediatric study examining the location of skin tags in children, the armpit was the most common site, accounting for 38% of cases. The neck came in second at 25%. The eyelids and groin are also common locations. Essentially, any fold or crease where friction occurs regularly is a potential spot.
Why Some Children Develop Them
Friction is the most straightforward trigger. Skin rubbing repeatedly against skin or against a collar, waistband, or jewelry can prompt a tag to form. This is why they cluster in folds and creases rather than on flat areas like the forearm or shin.
But friction isn’t the whole story. Research published in Pediatric Dermatology has found a meaningful link between skin tags in children and higher body mass index. Kids who carry extra weight have more skin folds and more friction, which creates favorable conditions for tags to develop. A study of Mexican children found that the presence of skin tags correlated with insulin resistance, even in children at a healthy weight. Insulin resistance is a condition where the body’s cells don’t respond efficiently to insulin, forcing the pancreas to produce more of it. Elevated insulin levels appear to stimulate skin cell growth in ways that promote tags.
This doesn’t mean every child with a skin tag has a metabolic problem. A single skin tag on a child’s neck is rarely cause for alarm. But multiple skin tags, especially alongside darkened, velvety patches of skin in the armpits or neck (a condition called acanthosis nigricans), can be an early visible marker of insulin resistance. In those cases, a blood test to check insulin and blood sugar levels is reasonable.
When Multiple Skin Tags May Signal Something Else
In rare cases, a child who develops many skin tag-like growths at a young age may have a genetic condition called basal cell nevus syndrome (also known as Gorlin syndrome). This is an inherited condition that can also involve jaw cysts and small pits on the palms or soles of the feet. In one reported case, a girl began developing increasing numbers of skin tags starting at age four, and two of her younger sisters eventually presented with the same pattern. Multiple skin tags were the earliest and most visible sign of the syndrome in all three children.
This is uncommon. But if your child is developing numerous skin tag-like bumps, especially before puberty and without an obvious friction-related explanation, it’s worth having a dermatologist take a closer look.
Do They Go Away on Their Own?
Skin tags generally don’t disappear once they form. They can stay the same size indefinitely or grow very slowly over time. Occasionally one will twist on its stalk, lose blood supply, and fall off, but that’s not something to count on. Most skin tags that are present in childhood will still be there in adulthood unless removed.
Removal Options for Kids
Skin tags don’t need to be removed for medical reasons. The only reasons to consider removal are cosmetic preference or physical irritation, such as a tag that catches on clothing or gets pulled during play.
When removal is desired, a doctor can snip the tag off with sterile scissors or a scalpel. The procedure is quick and typically involves only minor, brief discomfort. For very young children or anxious kids, a numbing cream applied beforehand can help. The area heals within a few days and rarely leaves a noticeable mark.
Avoid using over-the-counter skin tag removal kits on children. These products, which work by freezing or chemically burning the tissue, are designed for adult skin and can cause unnecessary pain, scarring, or infection in kids. Tying off a skin tag with thread or dental floss at home carries similar risks of infection and should be avoided. If a skin tag is bothersome enough to remove, a quick office visit is the safer path.