What is The Cost of Removing Skin Tags

Skin tags are harmless growths, they are just a little flap of skin. However, they do have a tendency to grow in unwelcome places, especially when they appear on the face, neck or genitals. Wanting to remove skin tags is a natural response when you discover a new polyp. One of the main concerns that many people have is the cost of removing skin tags. 

Visiting a doctor to remove any growth, including skin tags is a good idea. However, there are three reasons people might not choose to go this route:

1. The cost of removing skin tags

Skin tag removal is not covered by health insurance. Because skin tags are harmless growths, removing them is considered a cosmetic procedure and not covered. The exception with some insurances is if the skin tag becomes infected or bleeding. Removing a skin tag at the doctor’s office is not a cheap exercise, but we will go into that a bit more later on.

2. The uncertainty of the procedure.

Having anything removed in the doctor’s office is a little bit anxiety-inducing. Not knowing what to expect and what sort of pain you’ll experience can be nerve wrecking. This is often a reason why someone will put off going to the doctor to remove a growth they know is harmless.

3. The inconvenience.

For some, visiting the doctor’s office to have a skin tag removed is not a problem. They may have the time, money or insurance coverage, and a conveniently located doctor who keeps to their appointment times.  However, this isn’t the case for everyone.

What is the cost of removing skin tags at the doctor’s office?

When paying at the doctor’s office, removing a skin tag can cost hundreds of dollars.   Obviously, this depends on how many skin tags you have, how sensitive their location is, where your doctor is located and what policies you carry. Many doctors will also have a consultation fee. From our research online, the cost of removing skin tags often starts at around $100. Different doctors will have different removal packages and may charge per skin tag, or a set amount per few skin tags. 

What does skin tag removal in the doctor’s office involve?

Doctors have 3 ways they will usually remove skin tags

Surgical Skin Tag Removal

Surgically – This pretty much just involves snipping off the skin tag. Your doctor will usually give you a local anesthetic for this, or, if it’s a small skin tag they might just apply a topical anesthetic cream. Then using sterile scissors, blade or scalpel, the doctor just removes the skin tag by cutting it off. If it is a larger skin tag, and bleeding occurs, they may cauterize the removal site to stop the bleeding.

Freezing – Using liquid nitrogen, your doctor may freeze off your skin tag. Also known as cryotherapy or cryosurgery, the skin tag is instantly frozen. It does not fall off immediately but will usually turn white right away. Cryosurgery is not painful, especially considering it only last a few seconds. It is more like a very cold tingling feeling. Once you start to think it may be hurting, it’s over. This is usually done with a cryospray or applied with a cotton-tipped applicator.

Cauterization – Using a heat tipped cautery pen, your doctor will burn off the skin tag. As this may sting a bit, the doctor will usually use a local anesthetic or topical anesthetic. It only takes a couple of seconds to remove the skin tag, which comes off immediately.

Is there a more convenient way to remove skin tags?

Removing skin tags at home is becoming increasingly popular, for these 3 reasons mentioned earlier; cost, fear, and convenience. Removing skin tags at home costs a fraction of the price. Many natural remedies cost nothing at all and most removal products that you buy are fairly inexpensive. They can be easily removed in the comfort of your home and you have full control over what method of removal you are comfortable with. You can even freeze the skin tag off yourself at home as well as cauterizing your skin tags. There is also a range of over the counter creams that are effective in removing most skin tags. Another popular method for removing skin tags at home is ligation which means tying off the skin tag causing it to shrivel up and fall off.

 

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