Skin tags can appear at any time and are largely hereditary. Increased hormones during pregnancy, as well as hormonal fluctuations while nursing, can also cause them. In some cases, women may develop skin tags during pregnancy in their groin or on their abdomen while but not notice them until after their pregnancy.
While less than aesthetically pleasing, skin tags are harmless. They usually pop up in places where clothing rubs against your skin, like under the arms and beneath your bra and underwear.
Skin tags can be removed in a routine office visit to your dermatologist. Depending on their size and number, they can either be snipped off with scissors, frozen with liquid nitrogen or burned off with an electric needle. Just be aware that after skin tags are removed, new ones can appear.
If you’re prone to getting them, you have the potential to develop more. And if you get them during pregnancy, it’s best to wait until after delivery when your hormonal levels are back to normal.
Cryotherapy: A Recommended Skin Tag Removal Procedure
Liquid nitrogen treatment, also known as Cryotherapy or Cryosurgery involves spraying the liquid directly onto a skin tag or dabbing it on using a cotton swab. Since this particular chemical has a temperature of roughly -328 degrees F (-200 C), it instantly freezes anything that it comes in contact with. In the case of skin tags, this includes the tag itself and some small area surrounding it.
As with any contact involving extreme temperatures, the result is a burning of the affected tissue. This “burn” will cause a blister to form. This treatment is quick and relatively painless and is far less invasive than excision or dermabrasion. Cryotherapy can usually be performed in the office and requires no extensive post-treatment care, making it extremely convenient.
Cryotherapy causes a stinging and burning pain while the skin tag is being frozen, and this burning continues while it thaws. The area that was treated will become red and swollen, and in three to six hours a blister with a scab will form.
The blister may bleed a little, and it may turn purple or black, all of which is a perfectly normal part of the healing process. Within one to two weeks, the scab will fall off by itself, and the skin tag will come off with it, leaving you with healthy skin.
Interested in Getting a Skin Tag Removed?
We have multiple locations throughout the country that offer safe treatment options dealing with skin tags during pregnancy, so fill out our simple online form to get in touch with us. One of our local team members will reach out to you shortly to answer your questions or schedule an appointment for you to visit us soon.
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