I have certainly seen a few mishaps in my time, which allows me to talk about this with firsthand knowledge. Now I will not say I have never seen it not work because absolutely there have been times a client has told me it dropped off easily after tying something around it; however, there have been more times I have seen a client come to me who has the string embedded in their skin and the tag still firmly attached!
Skin tags are incredibly common. They’re usually harmless, soft little growths that appear on the neck, underarms, eyelids, under the breasts, or anywhere there’s friction. Because they’re benign, it’s easy to assume they’re simple to remove, too.
And that’s where things can go wrong.
If you’ve been tempted to tie one off with cotton, cut it yourself, or use an online freezing kit, you’re not alone. When you search online, you’ll find all sorts of advice:
Tie dental floss around the base.
Snip it off with sterile scissors.
Apply apple cider vinegar.
Use an over-the-counter freezing pen.
It sounds quick. It sounds cheap. It sounds easy. But skin is never quite that simple, and one of the biggest issues with home removal isn’t just discomfort, it’s the potential of misidentification. Not every raised lesion is a skin tag.
Some growths that look similar can be warts, moles, seborrhoeic keratoses, or occasionally something that should not be removed cosmetically at all. Removing the wrong type of lesion without proper assessment can delay appropriate medical review.
Then there’s bleeding. Skin tags can have a surprising blood supply, especially larger ones. Cutting or tying them incorrectly can result in significant bleeding, pain, or infection.
Freezing kits bought online are also often weaker than clinical-grade equipment, so they often don’t fully remove the tag. Instead, they partially damage it, causing prolonged irritation or regrowth.
I regularly see clients who have tried home methods first and are left with:
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Inflamed surrounding skin
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Infection
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Incomplete removal
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Scarring
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Or a lesion that now looks different and harder to assess
In the clinic, the first step is always a proper visual assessment. Confirming that the lesion is a benign skin tag is essential before any treatment. Once correctly identified, removal is usually quick and precise, using advanced techniques designed to minimise bleeding and trauma to surrounding tissue.
So even though Skin tags are common and usually harmless, removing them yourself isn’t always as simple as the internet makes it sound. If a lesion is catching, irritating you, or bothering you cosmetically, it’s far safer to have it assessed and removed in a clinical setting.
Quick doesn’t always mean safe. And safety should always come first when it comes to your skin.