At Harley Street Medics in London, we offer safe and effective skin tag removal with minimal discomfort and downtime—restoring clear, smooth skin with expert care.
Skin tags are soft, skin-colored or slightly darker growths that protrude from the skin, often on a narrow “stalk.” They range in size from a couple of millimeters up to about 5 cm.Common sites include skin folds or areas where skin rubs together – neck, armpits, groin, under the breasts, eyelids, etc.They feel soft and typically do not hurt or cause pain unless irritated.
Skin tags are very common – studies suggest up to 50% of adults will develop at least one in their lifetime.They can affect anyone (men and women, all skin types) and become more frequent with age.They are often noticed in mid adulthood and beyond (incidence increases after the fourth decade of life)
The exact cause of skin tags isn’t always clear, but several factors are associated:
Genetics and age: A genetic predisposition may exist (they sometimes run in families), and simply getting older increases the likelihood of skin tags. Some studies also noted they might be slightly more common in women than men, though both sexes are frequently affected.
When it comes to removing skin tags, medical professionals use several safe and effective techniques. In the UK, common clinical removal methods include cryotherapy (freezing), cautery (burning off with heat/electricity), excision (cutting off), and laser removal.
How it works: Cryotherapy involves freezing the skin tag with a substance like liquid nitrogen (around –196°C). The doctor or nurse applies the extremely cold liquid or spray to the base of the skin tag. This freezes the tissue, causing the tag’s cells to die. The tag will then turn into a scab and fall off after several days or up to a couple of weeks. It’s a quick procedure – each tag is usually frozen for only a few seconds. No injection or cutting is needed, and often no anaesthetic is required; the intense cold itself has a numbing effect (though for very sensitive areas a numbing cream might be used).
Benefits: Cryotherapy is minimally invasive – there’s no incision, so risk of bleeding is low. It typically doesn’t require anesthesia, which is convenient. It’s a quick outpatient procedure (a few minutes per tag). There is usually little to no downtime; you can go about normal activities right after, as long as you care for the area. The healing is fairly fast: a blister or scab forms on the treated spot and generally heals within one to two weeks. Cryotherapy is quite effective for small to medium skin tags – after the frozen tag drops off, that tag is gone for good in most cases.
Drawbacks: The freezing process can cause a stinging or burning sensation during and shortly after treatment. While no lasting pain is expected, the area might feel a bit sore for a day or two. There’s a chance of getting a blister at the treatment site (this is normal as the tissue freezes). In some cases, cryotherapy might darken or lighten the skin temporarily on that spot (hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation), especially in individuals with darker skin tones. These color changes are usually temporary, but in rare cases could be permanent. Another limitation is that very large or thick skin tags may not be completely removed with one freezing – sometimes repeat treatments are needed. Overall, cryotherapy’s risk profile is low; the risk of infection is minimal as the skin isn’t cut open (you still must keep the area clean while it heals).
How it works: Cauterization removes the tag by burning it off and sealing the wound. In practice, this is often done via electrocautery or electrolysis – a device heats a very fine probe or wire with an electric current. The clinician touches this heated tip to the stalk of the skin tag, which burns through the tissue and cauterizes blood vessels. This method may also be called electrodesiccation or diathermy. It effectively singes the skin tag away. Usually a local anaesthetic injection is given beforehand (especially for larger tags) so you don’t feel pain during the cautery. Smaller tags might sometimes be cauterized without injection, with just a numbing cream, if the heat application is very brief – but typically numbing is used to ensure it’s pain-free.
Benefits: Electrocautery is very precise – the doctor can target the skin tag’s base accurately with minimal impact on surrounding skin. It also has the advantage of instantaneously sealing blood vessels, so there is usually little to no bleeding during removal. This makes it a clean procedure, and multiple tags can be treated in one session relatively easily. Healing is quick; the heat causes a small scab to form, and the area heals over in about 1–2 weeks on average, similar to cryotherapy. There’s minimal downtime – one can go home right after and just follow basic wound care (keep it clean and dry, etc.). Cautery is often the preferred method for many specialists because of its precision and effectiveness. Once healed, there is usually either no noticeable mark or just a small flat scar. Recurrence on that spot is very unlikely if the entire tag was removed.
Drawbacks: The need for a needle injection of anaesthetic can be a slight drawback for those who dislike needles, but it ensures the procedure is painless (the injection site may be a bit sore afterwards, but this is minor and brief). If multiple or large tags are removed, there might be a few days of minor soreness in those areas once the numbing wears off – typically over-the-counter pain reliever (like paracetamol) is more than sufficient if needed. As with any method that disrupts the skin, there’s a small risk of infection if aftercare isn’t followed, but keeping the area clean and covered as advised mitigates this. Cautery can also cause small scars or slight skin texture changes, but these are generally minimal. In rare cases, if a nerve ending is affected, a temporary neuroma could form causing lingering tenderness– however this is uncommon for tiny skin tags. Overall, complications are rare. Cauterization should only be performed by trained professionals – improper use can burn too deep or cause unnecessary skin damage, which is why it’s not suitable to do outside a medical setting.
How it works: Surgical removal means physically cutting off the skin tag with a sterile blade or scissors. This can be done in a couple of ways depending on the tag’s size: for small tags, doctors often do a “snip excision” – basically, after numbing the area, they use a pair of sharp surgical scissors or a scalpel to cut the tag at its base. For very tiny tags with a thin stalk, the cut is so quick that sometimes no anaesthetic is needed (if the patient tolerates it), but usually an anesthetic injection or topical anesthetic is applied to avoid any pain. The practitioner may then apply a chemical (like silver nitrate) or use a cautery device on the small wound to stop any bleeding and seal it. In the case of a larger skin tag with a broader base, the doctor might perform a shave excision (shaving it flush with the skin surface) or a full-thickness excision. If an excision leaves a larger gap, a stitch or two may be placed to close the area, though stitches are uncommon for most routine skin tag removals (only if the tag was substantial in size). Another minor variant of this method is ligation – tying a surgical thread tightly around the tag’s base to cut off blood supply, causing it to wither; in clinics this is sometimes done as a prelude to snipping it off.
Benefits: Cutting off a skin tag removes it immediately and completely – you see the result right away. It’s a simple minor surgical procedure that can often be done in a GP’s office or dermatology clinic. For small tags, it’s very quick (just a snip). When done carefully with sterile tools, it’s very safe. Effectiveness is high – the entire tag is physically gone, so that exact one will not return. If proper technique is used, scarring can be minimal: small snip removals often heal as a smooth mark that fades over time (especially when only the thin stalk was cut). Recovery is straightforward – the wound usually heals in about 7–10 days on average. There is typically no significant downtime; patients can resume normal activity immediately, needing only to keep the area clean and covered with a bandaid as it heals. Pain is minimal since local anesthetic is used; after it wears off, the area might be slightly tender for a day or two, but it’s uncommon to need anything more than simple analgesics if at all.
Drawbacks: The idea of cutting can be unsettling to some, but in practice it’s quick and done under anesthetic. The injection of local anesthetic can pinch for a moment (similar to a small needle jab), which is the most discomfort you’d feel – after that, the area is numb. There can be a small amount of bleeding when the tag is cut off, especially if the tag had a larger blood vessel; doctors manage this by applying pressure and often dabbing the base with a chemical cautery stick or using an electrocautery touch to seal it. Because the skin is actually cut, there’s a slight risk of infection until it heals – but this risk is low (following aftercare instructions to keep the site clean and dry will greatly minimize any infection chance). A small scar or mark can occur where the tag was. In many cases of tiny tags, the mark is negligible; for larger ones that required stitches, there will be a line scar, though it usually fades significantly over a few months. Another consideration: if you have many skin tags, excising each one individually with a scalpel might be a bit time-consuming compared to methods like cautery which can tackle multiple quickly. Nonetheless, excision remains a very common method, especially for tags in sensitive areas (like the eyelids) where precise removal is needed and one might want to send the tissue for lab analysis to be certain of the diagnosis.
How it works: Laser removal uses an intense beam of light to vapourize or cut away the skin tag. Clinics in the UK often use a CO₂ laser for this purpose, which is a laser type well-suited for ablating skin lesions. The laser is focused on the skin tag, and the energy heats and destroys the tissue in a very controlled way. Essentially, the skin tag is burned off via laser energy (much like cautery, but without physical contact). The procedure usually involves first numbing the area (especially if the tag is larger or there are multiple tags) – either with a local anesthetic injection or a strong numbing cream – because the laser’s heat can cause discomfort. Once anesthetized, the laser treatment itself is very quick, often seconds per tag. The laser chars the tag and seals the blood vessels (minimal bleeding). After removal, a small wound or scab will be left where the tag was, which heals over in the following 1–2 weeks.
Benefits: Lasers offer high precision and can be excellent for areas where you want to avoid damaging surrounding skin. They are also very sterile (since no tool touches the skin, infection risk is extremely low). Bleeding is minimal, similar to electrocautery, because the heat from the laser coagulates vessels as it works. Healing time is comparable to other methods – roughly a week or two for the small wound to fully heal. Patients often like that laser treatments sound high-tech; in practice the outcome (tag gone with a tiny scab) is similar to other methods, but lasers can particularly help in areas that are hard to reach with instruments or where a very gentle approach is needed (e.g. perhaps near the eye, though special eye protection is used). Lasers can remove multiple tags in one session efficiently. Pain during the procedure is well-controlled with anesthetic, so it’s generally painless once numbed (and if no injection was used, one would feel only a quick hot sensation). There is no downtime beyond routine care of the small treated spots – you can leave the clinic right after and go about your day, with some aftercare instructions.
Drawbacks: Access and cost – laser removal may not be available at every general practice; it is typically offered at dermatology clinics or specialized cosmetic clinics, often at a higher price point than simpler methods due to the expensive equipment. From a results standpoint, laser doesn’t necessarily heal faster or with less scarring than other methods; you can still get a minor scab and potential slight scar. There’s a risk of temporary skin color changes (the healing area might be lighter or darker initially, similar to other methods that involve tissue destruction). Laser safety is important – both patient and operator must wear protective eyewear (especially with CO₂ or other high-power lasers) and the clinic must be properly licensed for laser use, but reputable clinics will have these precautions in place. Another consideration is that if histological analysis is desired (biopsy of the removed tissue), laser can vaporize the tag leaving little to send to a lab. In most straightforward cases this isn’t needed, but if there were any doubt about a growth, a traditional excision might be preferred to allow lab testing of the tissue. In summary, laser removal is effective but tends to be used in private dermatology clinics; it offers similar outcomes to cautery. The choice often comes down to the practitioner’s expertise and the equipment available.
Each removal method has its own advantages. The table below summarizes key points for cryotherapy, cautery, excision, and laser removal of skin tags:
| Method | How It Works | Pain & Anesthesia | Healing & Downtime | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cryotherapy (Freezing) |
Freeze tag with liquid nitrogen; tag dies and falls off |
Mild stinging during freezing; usually no injection needed |
Forms blister/scab that heals in ~1–2 weeks. No real downtime |
No cutting, low infection risk; quick and simple |
Can blister; might need repeat for large tags; temporary skin darkening possible |
|
Cautery (Electrocautery) |
Burn off tag with electric probe; simultaneously seals blood vessels |
Local anesthetic injection typically used |
Small scab heals in ~1–2 weeks. No significant downtime (just wound care) |
Very precise; minimal bleeding; can treat multiple tags in one go |
Requires needle anesthetic; slight burn smell |
|
Excision (snip surgery) |
Cut off tag at the base with sterile scissors or scalpel |
Local anesthetic (injection or topical) used for anything beyond tiny tags |
If very small, wound heals in ~1 week; larger excisions or any with stitches ~10–14 days. No downtime, just keep area clean |
Instant complete removal; can send tissue to lab if needed; straightforward and widely available |
Brief bleeding possible; small risk of infection until healed; may leave a minor scar |
|
Laser Removal (CO₂ or other) |
Use focused laser beam to vaporize the skin tag tissue |
Usually requires local anesthetic (injection or strong numbing cream) |
Heals in ~1–2 weeks with minimal care (similar to cautery). No significant downtime |
No physical cutting tool contact (very sterile); precise and bloodless; multiple tags quickly treatable |
Higher cost. Scar risk similar to other methods |
At Harley Street Medics, your skin health and confidence are our priority. Here’s what makes us a trusted destination for skin tag removal:
Our clinic is located in the prestigious Harley Street area, known for elite-level medical care.
We follow the highest safety standards required by UK healthcare regulators.
All procedures are conducted by trained professionals, ensuring accuracy, hygiene, and minimal scarring.
Enjoy fast access, discreet service, and custom treatment plans—no GP referral needed.
We provide clear recovery guidance, helping you heal quickly and with confidence.
| Treatments | Price |
|---|---|
| Laser Removal | From £199 |
| Additional tags | From £99 |
| Excision | From £199 |
| Additional tags | From £99 |
| Specialised Skin Tag Removal | From £299 |
| Peri Anal Skin Tags Small | From £495 |
| Peri Anal Skin Tags Medium | From £795 |
| Peri Anal Skin Tags Large | From £995 |
| Skin Tags upto 10 | From £699 |
| Skin Tags upto 20 | From £999 |
Sudden appearance of skin tags can be linked to friction, hormonal changes, weight gain, or underlying conditions like insulin resistance. They're especially common in areas where skin rubs together.
Once a skin tag is removed, that specific tag won’t return. However, new skin tags may appear in the same or nearby areas if the underlying cause persists.
No. Skin tags are soft, benign growths, while warts are caused by the HPV virus and have a rough texture. They differ in cause, texture, and treatment method.
Yes. Cryotherapy is one of the methods used to remove skin tags. It involves freezing the tag with liquid nitrogen, causing it to fall off naturally.
Genetics can play a role. If your family members have skin tags, you're more likely to develop them as well, especially in adulthood.
While not a direct cause, people with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance are more prone to developing skin tags. It’s worth discussing with your GP if concerned.
No, skin tags are harmless and non-cancerous. However, any new or changing skin growth should be evaluated by a medical professional to rule out other conditions.
Neck skin tags often form due to friction from clothing, jewellery, or folds of skin. Hormonal changes and genetics can also be contributing factors.
In rare cases, skin tags may dry out and fall off, especially if twisted. However, most require professional removal to ensure safe and scar-free results.
The finest dermatological and aesthetic treatments tailored to your specific skin needs are our speciality at Harley Street Medics. Our clinic provides state-of-the-art procedures to help you attain the healthy, radiant skin you deserve, from sophisticated cosmetic solutions to professional skin care.
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