Skin tags and warts are common benign skin lesions people often seek to remove at home. Given the accessibility of products designed to freeze away warts, many wonder if these over-the-counter (OTC) kits can be repurposed for the removal of skin tags. While using a single product for two different conditions seems practical, the underlying biology of these growths dictates the appropriate treatment method. Understanding the fundamental nature of each lesion is the first step in safely addressing them.
Understanding Warts and Skin Tags
Warts (verrucae) are growths caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). This viral infection causes an overgrowth of cells in the top layer of skin, resulting in a lesion that is typically rough, hard, and raised. Warts are contagious and can spread to other parts of the body or to other people through contact. Because warts have a viral etiology, the goal of treatment is to destroy the infected tissue deeply enough to eliminate the virus driving the cellular proliferation.
Skin tags (acrochordons) are entirely different growths not caused by a virus. They are benign, non-contagious clusters of loose collagen fibers and blood vessels. Skin tags are soft, flesh-colored, and attached by a narrow stalk (peduncle). These lesions often develop in areas where skin rubs against skin, such as the neck, armpits, and groin. This distinction between a deeply rooted viral growth and a surface-level benign flap of skin is why treatment approaches must differ.
How Over The Counter Freeze Treatments Work
Over-the-counter freeze treatments mimic the professional cryotherapy procedure used by dermatologists, albeit at a much milder temperature. These kits typically use a blend of refrigerants to cool a foam applicator tip. When applied to the skin, the chemicals rapidly evaporate, drawing heat away from the targeted tissue and causing a localized, superficial freeze.
The cold is intended to cause necrosis, or tissue death, by disrupting the cell membranes and microcirculation within the wart. This freezing and subsequent thawing cycle is meant to destroy the underlying viral cells and blood supply necessary for the wart’s survival. The process aims for deep penetration to address the viral infection rooted beneath the skin surface.
The Recommendation Efficacy and Safety
Using an OTC wart freeze remover on a skin tag is not recommended by medical professionals. The treatment mechanism is specifically calibrated to destroy the deep, hardened, virally infected tissue of a wart. Skin tags, by contrast, are soft, pedunculated growths that do not require the same depth of freezing for removal.
The structure of a skin tag, which often dangles from a narrow base, makes precise application of the freezing agent extremely difficult. The applicator in an OTC kit is designed to cover the broad, flat surface of a typical wart. When attempting to treat a small, floppy skin tag, the freezing agent is highly likely to spread onto the surrounding healthy skin. This unintended application can lead to damage without effectively removing the skin tag itself. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any OTC products specifically for skin tag removal. This misuse is unreliable and carries an elevated risk of collateral damage.
Risks and Complications of Misuse
Applying a wart freeze remover to a skin tag carries several risks that can result in worse outcomes than the original lesion. The most common complication is damage to the healthy surrounding skin due to the imprecise home applicator. This unintended freezing can lead to localized blistering, a painful reaction as the tissue attempts to heal from the cold burn.
Misuse can also cause permanent changes to skin pigmentation. Hypopigmentation (lightening) occurs when melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells, are destroyed by the cold. Conversely, hyperpigmentation (darkening) can result from the inflammatory response to the injury. Scarring is also a significant risk, as the uncontrolled depth of the freeze can damage deeper dermal layers, resulting in a noticeable, permanent mark.
Any attempt at at-home removal that creates an open wound introduces the risk of bacterial infection, which may require antibiotic treatment. A serious risk is misdiagnosis; freezing a lesion that is actually a mole or skin cancer delays proper medical evaluation and treatment.
Professional Treatment Options
For individuals who want to have a skin tag removed, consulting a healthcare professional, such as a dermatologist, is the safest and most reliable approach. A professional can first accurately assess the lesion to confirm it is indeed a benign skin tag and not a more serious growth. Once confirmed, several minor procedures can be performed safely in a clinical setting.
Surgical Excision
This common method involves the doctor using sterile surgical scissors or a scalpel to snip the skin tag off at its base. The area is often numbed with a local anesthetic beforehand, making the process quick and painless.
Electrosurgery
This option uses a high-frequency electrical current to burn the skin tag off its stalk. This simultaneously cauterizes the wound to minimize bleeding.
Professional Cryotherapy
Dermatologists also use cryotherapy, involving the controlled application of much colder liquid nitrogen. This ensures a more effective and targeted freeze than OTC products. These professional methods minimize the risk of infection, scarring, and damage to surrounding tissue, providing a definitive solution.