A skin tag, medically known as an acrochordon, is a common, benign, small skin growth. These growths are harmless and non-cancerous, consisting of a core of blood vessels and collagen fibers covered by skin. This guide focuses on the visual characteristics, common locations, and key differences necessary for identification.
Defining Visual Characteristics
Skin tags are typically soft, flesh-colored or slightly hyperpigmented growths that project away from the surrounding skin. They range from tiny bumps, often only a millimeter wide, up to larger lesions reaching several millimeters. A defining physical trait is the pedunculated shape, meaning the main body is connected to the skin surface by a narrow, stem-like stalk.
The texture is usually soft and pliable, often feeling rubbery or wrinkled. Because of the stalk-like attachment, skin tags are mobile and can be easily wiggled or moved. The color usually mirrors the natural skin tone, appearing flesh-colored, tan, or light brown. If the tag is darker than the surrounding area, it is described as hyperpigmented, sometimes resembling a raised mole.
Common Locations and Environmental Variations
Skin tags most frequently develop in areas where skin folds meet or where constant friction occurs between skin and clothing. Common sites include the neck, the armpits (axillae), the groin or inner thighs, the eyelids, and underneath the breasts. Repeated rubbing of skin on skin or against jewelry and fabric contributes to their formation.
This environmental factor influences appearance, as tags in highly active areas are more likely to experience irritation or minor trauma. If a tag is twisted or continually rubbed, the blood flow can become restricted. This temporary lack of blood supply, sometimes called strangulation, can cause the skin tag to turn darker, appearing purple, red, or even black. This color change is often a sign of minor trauma or necrosis.
Distinguishing Skin Tags from Other Growths
Distinguishing a skin tag from other growths is important, as many skin lesions share similar characteristics. Skin tags are often confused with seborrheic keratoses, warts, and neurofibromas, but each has distinct visual traits.
Seborrheic Keratoses
These common growths typically look waxy, scaly, and appear “stuck onto” the skin. Unlike the soft, hanging nature of a skin tag, seborrheic keratoses are usually flatter, have a rougher surface texture, and are not attached by a narrow stalk.
Warts
Warts are small, raised growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and have a rougher, cauliflower-like, or dome-shaped surface. While filiform warts may resemble a skin tag, true warts lack the soft, pliable texture and the distinct, thin stalk. Warts are also contagious, while skin tags are not.
Neurofibromas
Neurofibromas are benign nerve sheath tumors that can appear as soft, flesh-colored nodules. However, neurofibromas are often firmer to the touch and can sometimes push inward when pressed, a sensation known as “buttonholing,” which is not characteristic of the superficial skin tag. If any growth changes color rapidly, begins to bleed without trauma, or causes pain, seek professional medical advice.