Vaginal Skin Tags

Skin tags commonly form on the neck, armpits, eyelids, and groin. They usually appear in areas of high friction. However, there is another area of the body where skin tags form that is not talked about as often.  Some people develop vaginal skin tags. These small growths can appear around the vagina and if small enough can often go unnoticed.

Causes of vaginal skin tags

Skin tags are generally caused by friction on the skin. There is a range of other causes that lead to skin tags forming such as insulin imbalance, genetics, and weight gain. The two main causes of skin tags on the vulva are friction and hormone imbalance.

Friction and vaginal skin tags

Pregnancy Skin Tags

Although vaginas are usually quietly tucked away, they still experience a fair amount of friction. One way to help prevent skin tags is to wear loose fitting clothing. With women’s underwear, this isn’t always possible. Panties usually sit flush against the skin constantly brushing against the vaginal skin. The rubbing action on soft skin is a good recipe for skin tags. Vaginas also experience a fair amount of skin on skin friction throughout the day. Walking, sexual intercourse and toilet paper all cause chaffing.

Hormones and vaginal skin tags

One of the most frequent times women may develop skin tags on the vulva is during pregnancy. The raging hormones, together with weight gain, make an ideal environment for skin to grow.

Do I need to remove vaginal skin tags

Removing vaginal skin tags is not required. They are harmless growths. Skin tags that grow during pregnancy or after birth will often actually fall off themselves. This is the only time skin tags may disappear or fall off on their own. Although, it is not always the case.

You should remove skin tags if they are getting in the way. You don’t want skin tags to get twisted or pulled as this can irritate them and cause bleeding or possibly infection. Skin tags that get in the way when having sex or in areas that you frequently wax or shave should be removed in order to avoid them being abrupting pulled off or twisted.

If you choose to leave your skin tags and not remove them, do keep an eye on them. Some skin tags can grow in size and you want to take care of it before they become large skin tags.

Genital warts and skin tags

One of the most important things to do when you find a vaginal skin tag is to correctly diagnose it. This is another reason we suggest visiting your doctor for these skin tags. One of the most commonly misdiagnosed growths is warts, which often get confused for skin tags and vice versa. Genital warts are not uncommon and the treatment for genital warts and genital skin tags differ. There is also a greater urgency to remove genital warts as they are caused by the human papillomavirus and are therefore contagious and can spread easily.

Removing vaginal skin tags

Due to the sensitive nature of the vaginal skin, it is not advisable to remove them yourself. If the skin tag appears on the mons pubis, the more flesh colored skin that surrounds the vagina, then removing them yourself is certainly easier. Skin tags that appear on the softer pink flesh of the labia are a little trickier and should be removed by your doctor or gynecologist.  

How do doctors remove vaginal skin tags

Doctors have a few tools at their disposal for removing skin tags. When it comes to removing vaginal skin tags, care must be taken when removing growths from this sensitive skin. The main removal method a doctor will use removing skin tags on the vulva is excision, also known as surgical removal. It is a quick outpatient procedure and can usually be done in the doctor’s office. Using a scalpel, blade or sterile scissors, the doctor will quickly remove the skin tag with a swift cut. Depending on the size of the skin tag, they will usually anesthetize the area first, so you won’t even feel a thing.

Removing vaginal skin tags yourself

As we mentioned, it is not recommended to remove vaginal skin tags yourself. However, we realize that this is probably one of the main areas that women want to handle themselves rather than seek outside help for. Also, not everyone wants to lay out the money for a visit to the doctor. If you are going to try removing a vaginal skin tag yourself, the only removal method we would try is ligation. Using either dental floss or tagbands, cut off the blood supply to the skin and in 3 – 10 days, the skin tag will fall off. You may feel some discomfort for those few days until the skin tag falls off as you need to leave the band in place in entire time.

 

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