Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
“There's no clinical evidence that toothpaste or any other home remedies are effective in removing skin tags, and you risk infecting or irritating the skin,” says Maryam Afshar, MD, a dermatologist at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines.
Hydrogen peroxide used to be a popular antiseptic for cleaning wounds and treating acne. But it's not a good idea to use it for those purposes, since it can irritate your skin. If you don't want to throw away your brown bottles, you can use hydrogen peroxide to clean and disinfect around the house.
Do not try to remove a skin tag yourself unless a GP recommends it. Risks include infection, bleeding and scarring.
In fact, people with a lot of skin tags may need to be tested for diabetes, as the tags can sometimes be a warning sign of underlying insulin issues. Skin tags can also be a warning sign of another underlying health issue – high cholesterol.
It's never a good idea to try to remove them yourself. Skin tags are vascular, which means they have a blood source. They sometimes also have nerves. Cutting them off with scissors is not only painful, but it can also lead to uncontrolled bleeding.
Topical hydrogen peroxide shows the greatest evidence for clinical clearance of seborrheic keratoses and may be a viable option for patients requesting noninvasive removal.
"Hydrogen peroxide is actually detrimental to wound healing," says Dr. Yaakovian. "It prevents healing rather than promoting it." That's because its reactive power isn't specific to germs.
Prolonged exposure to concentrated vapor or to dilute solutions can cause irritation and temporary bleaching of skin and hair. Contact with concentrated solutions can cause severe skin burns with blisters.
Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
There is no scientific evidence to back the usage of apple cider vinegar to remove skin tags. Scattered reports suggest that the topical application of highly concentrated acetic acid solutions alleviates warts (2).
Skin tags don't grow back
However, new tags can occur in the same area if there is continued rubbing or irritation. “Weight loss and avoiding clothing or jewelry that causes chronic rubbing and irritation is helpful to prevent more skin tags from occurring,” Sorensen says.
Skin tag removal can be accomplished via a number of different methods. One commonly used method is cryotherapy, in which a physician, usually a dermatologist, freezes off the skin tag using liquid nitrogen. Another option is electrocautery, in which an electric probe or needle is used to burn off the skin tag.
Rubbing alcohol kills germs faster but may damage certain surfaces. Hydrogen peroxide is more effective against certain bacteria. Why use hydrogen peroxide instead of rubbing alcohol? You can use it on some surfaces, such as wood or granite, that alcohol might damage.
Its strong disinfecting properties break down the fungus's structure and make it a popular remedy for people seeking a natural option. Applying peroxide directly to the nail can disinfect the area and potentially slow the spread of infection. However, peroxide alone may not fully clear up a deep infection.
► Exposure to Hydrogen Peroxide can cause headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Abstract. Transitory blanching of nonacral skin has been observed after contact with a 3% solution of H2O2. This phenomenon was reproducible in all tested whites, but was not reproducible in black skin. Blanching developed within 30 to 300 seconds after contact with H2O2 and lasted from 10 to 30 minutes.
Is this product clinically proven? Yes, Dr. Scholl's® Freeze Away® Skin Tag Remover is clinically proven to remove skin tags in as little as 1 treatment.
Cutting or clipping off a skin tag with a sharp blade, nail clippers, or scissors can be tempting. Only do this with the approval of a healthcare professional, and cleanse the skin and the tool thoroughly to prevent infection. While this provides the immediate gratification of removal, it is painful, says Dr. Mokaya.