Skin Tags have regular areas that they show up, especially areas of high friction. So it’s no surprise that the armpit is one of them. Other common areas to find Skin Tags are the eyelids, under the breast, neck, and groin. Armpit skin tags are one of the most common. Our armpits experience a lot of friction, even if we are not engaged in heavy activity and this can lead to skin tags.
Why do skin tags grow in armpits
Rubbing and friction is a major cause of skin tags to appear. Few areas on our bodies rub as much as our armpits, the constant movement means that its skin is always being agitated. Our armpits are also one of the sweatiest areas of our bodies. This causes the skin there to get a little sticky and cause chafing. This further creates an excellent environment for a skin tag to grow.
The skin in our armpits is actually very thin, and our armpits are busier than you may realize. Apocrine glands, which are the sweat glands we develop during puberty are highly concentrated in our armpits and produces sweat that attracts bacteria. This additionally leads to us constantly applying deodorant which can also cause additional chafing in our armpits. Shaving or waxing our armpit hair is also another irritant to the skin under our arms. Skin tags will generally appear in areas that have thin skin and lots of movement, making armpits an ideal environment for new growths to develop.
Do I need to remove armpit skin tags?
Many people with skin tags in their armpits can easily cover them up, which means they don’t feel any rush to remove them. This is totally fine. They are benign and harmless. Skin tags can grow bigger though when left. Because the armpit is so active and prone to friction, it is easy for skin tags to continue growing once they appear. The bigger the skin tag is, the more difficult it is to remove.
Another reason it’s a good idea to remove skin tags in armpits is their ability to get easily irritated here. With all the movement our arms do, skin tags sitting in this joint will get constantly rubbed. It can cause them to get twisted or pulled, irritated or possibly infected.
Those that shave or wax their armpits will also know the risk of running a blade along their armpit when there is a piece of hanging skin there. Skin tags in the armpit can easily be cut off, bleed and become infected if not treated correctly.
Removing Armpit Skin Tags
When removing armpit skin tags, there is no special treatment needed, as would be for the eyelids or genitals. All skin tag removal methods are at your disposal.
Freezing
You can freeze off your skin tags using cryotherapy. You can either have it done in the doctor’s office with liquid nitrogen or at home with a home freezing kit.
Surgically
This involved removing the skin tags with a scalpel or scissors. This should not be done at home. You are not working with sterile tools or a sterile environment and it can lead to infection. Skin tags can also bleed quite profusely in some cases, as they are made up of blood vessels.
Ligation
Cutting off the blood supply to the skin tags chokes them and causes them to shrivel up and fall off. You can do this by tying a piece of dental floss or similar tightly around the base of the skin tag and wait for it to fall off. If you have a few, which is common in the armpit area, Tagbands may be a good option for you. They are really easy to place with their special applicator and come with numerous bands so you can ligate up to 20 skin tags with a single pack.
Over the counter creams
Products such as Haloderm skin tag remover or Revitol creams do a great job on most skin tags. It’s an easy painless way to remove skin tags and can also be used to remove numerous skin tags at one time.
Natural
There is a wide range of natural solutions to removing skin tags. Most of them work by drying them out, causing the skin tag to fall off. Some work better than others, depending on your skin and the size of the skin tag. Tea Tree Oil and apple cider vinegar are two of the most popular natural remedies. Others include garlic, banana peels, baking soda and castor oil and vitamin E.
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