Skin tags are just small bits of skin, and they can grow just about anywhere on the body. When they are in places that you shave, however, it is a pain trying to navigate around them. Sometimes they are so small that if you do accidentally cut one off, you will barely notice it. You will probably only think that you’ve nicked yourself with the razor. So how can you avoid cutting off a skin tag when shaving?
Well, it is simple to get rid of skin tags fast, and that’s the only guaranteed way to avoid slicing them off. Quite often, people shave them off without even knowing it, because the skin tag is so small. Other times, though, the skin tag can become larger and cause a more severe problem. They are not a medical problem, mind you, just an annoyance and can sometimes be embarrassing when in a visible area.
You really can’t shave around one without having at least a small patch of hair around it, but you can remove a skin tag safely. We will talk more about this shortly. You can also try losing weight or wear looser clothing to reduce the likelihood of them appearing.
Nobody knows if shaving causes skin tags to form. There is no general rule as to why they appear, the most common theory, though, is that they form because of the skin rubbing against other skin constantly, or clothing rubbing against the skin. It is logical that a blade rubbing against the skin is a cause if the area is shaved regularly.
In this article, we will go into more detail about skin tags. We will talk about why and how they grow, especially where you shave. We will also talk about what you can do if you do accidentally shave one off. We will offer some advice about things that you can do to quickly and painlessly remove them, as well.
Can Shaving Cause Skin Tags?
It is believed that regular shaving ‘may’ contribute to the cause skin tags, but it is not proven. Waxing can also aggravate the skin. It happens more often when you shave a lot because you are causing friction on the skin. Many times skin tags are mistaken for ingrown hairs at first. But they soon grow taller, away from the skin. This is one of the ways that you can tell that it is a tag.
You will experience ingrown hairs when you shave a lot. Even when you wax instead of shave, you can still get them. When they are just starting to grow, skin tags look very similar. If you accidentally shave either of them, it will sting and bleed a little bit. This is normal for both.
You can get skin tags from shaving the pubic area, as underwear or bathing suits can rub against freshly shaved or waxed skin, and can cause irritation. The same goes for when you shave the groin area. Shaving not only removes the hair, but it also removes dead skin cells.
The tag can be the color of your flesh, or they can be a dark brown color. Most of them are small, but some of these skin tags can become as large as a grape.
Skin tags soon develop what is called a stalk or a trunk. If this does form, it is best to try to avoid cutting it off. Many treatments work fast to get rid of them, without causing any harm to any other surrounding skin.
What Else Can Cause Them?
The friction of skin rubbing against other skin is the main cause of skin tags. Other things that can cause them are the constant rubbing of jewelry, such as necklaces. They can grow in the groin area, or under the breasts, because of the constant friction of the clothing rubbing against the skin.
It is common for older people or people who are overweight to get them, only for the fact that there is extra skin that is rubbing together. Many of them are just little, but some can grow to about the size of a pea, or even a grape. It is not too common for them to get that big, though. Most of them are small.
Many men have beards or mustaches that hide these tags if they have them. Some men that shave their faces more frequently can get them in that area, probably just because of the constant irritation.
Is Cutting Off a Skin Tag Dangerous?
Remember that these are just extra pieces of your skin. If you cut yourself, it hurts and bleeds. The same goes for tags. The only danger is if it gets infected, just as a small cut would. There aren’t many times at all when this happens.
If you were to cut one off on purpose, as some people do, then it can bleed a lot. It is never recommended to cut off a skin tag with clippers or scissors, as you may have probably already read somewhere else on the internet.
You can get a skin infection if the clippers or scissors are dirty, and the tag will bleed a lot. People also put themselves in a lot of pain when they do this, and then they are shocked by the amount of bleeding that occurs, depending on where it is located on the body. There are plenty of other ways to remove a skin tag that work.
If you have a large skin tag and cut it off, there will be quite a bit of bleeding. Skin tags are filled with blood, as they are a part of the skin. If you do happen to cut one off, the most important thing to do is to stop the bleeding. You have to apply pressure to the spot and keep it until the bleeding stops. Again, the amount of time it takes to stop depends on the size of the tag and the place where it is located. Some areas of the body tend to bleed more than others. It may take upwards of 10 minutes for the bleeding to finally stop.
After it stops, you should wait a bit more, to see if it will start again. When it finally clots, be sure to put an antibiotic ointment and an adhesive bandage on it so that it doesn’t accidentally get rubbed against and start bleeding again. Keep the area clean, and keep putting an ointment such as Neosporin on it, just to be on the safe side.
Since most skin tags are small, it shouldn’t take long at all for it to heal.
Should You Go to a Doctor?
Skin tags are not considered a medical problem, but if you don’t know what it is, or are worried about it, then go to a doctor just to be reassured. It is common for people to assume that it is some form of skin cancer, but they are not.
A doctor or dermatologist can get rid of the tag, but no health insurance will cover it. They consider it a cosmetic issue, not a medical one. Your doctor can give you different options for getting rid of the skin tag if you have more than one. Some people do feel that it is worth the price for a doctor to get rid of it, and some do not.
Even if you do go to one, there will still be a chance of stinging or burning, as well as a bit of bleeding. They do have a few different ways of removal, such as using a numbing agent and scalpel, or burning them off (cauterization), or laser removal.
The cost of treatment from a doctor can be very high, especially if you have more than one tag. The price varies on how you want it removed, and how big it is.
There are OTC skin tags products that work, and some have ingredients in them that will also heal the skin. This is especially important when you have gotten rid of a larger skin tag because a marking or scar is noticeable.
Some treatments are almost identical as to what a doctor would do. Some treatments can freeze off a skin tag, and there are even what are called chemical peels. There are natural treatments, as well.
What to Do If You Accidentally Cut off a Skin Tag
It does happen that people accidentally shave off a skin tag. Depending on the area of the body that it is on, and the size of the skin tag, it can cause some pain and bleeding
This can happen when you shave your facial hair, as well. Many times, people don’t even know they’ve shaved one off. It can feel more like you’ve nicked yourself. When a skin tag is growing with body hair, you probably won’t even notice it is there.
The most important part is to stop the bleeding. Mind you, there won’t usually be a large amount of blood, but if you don’t get it to clot, it will continue to bleed. After you get it to stop and are sure that it is adequately clotted, you can put an antibiotic ointment on it just to be sure that it doesn’t get infected.
Also, depending on the location, such as the pubic area or the groin, where it will continuously be irritated by clothing rubbing on it, you really should put a bandage on it for a while, just so the spot won’t start bleeding again.
Can a Skin Tag Get Infected?
As mentioned before, it is rare that a skin tag will get infected. If you accidentally shave one off, don’t be overly worried about it. There is always a possibility, just like there is still a possibility that a small cut on your finger can get infected.
Just take care of the skin tag as you would a cut, and you will be fine. Remember, it is just an extra piece of skin.
Keep the area clean, and the spot protected for a little bit, and you will be fine. Try not to shave this area again until the clot has gone, or you will scrape the clot off and will cause bleeding again. It should only take a day or so to completely heal, especially when the tag is small.
Can Cutting Off a Skin Tag Cause a Scar?
Since many skin tags are very small, you won’t see any markings whatsoever if you accidentally shave one off. The bigger they get, though, there are chances of marking or scarring. The good news is that skin tags are usually very small. The top of the tag is usually bigger than the stalk, which is the part that grows out of the skin. This makes them look bigger than they actually are.
Some tags don’t have much of a stalk at all, and these can easily be confused with other skin growths. Especially when in the groin or pubic area, some people are afraid that they have some type of STD. If you are not sure of what it is and are worried, you should make an appointment with your doctor, just to be sure. It can be a bit embarrassing, but doctors have seen a lot worse.
If you use a product or treatment that is made specifically to remove skin tags, it will usually contain an ingredient that will heal the skin. Tea tree oil is very good at healing skin fast. It is an all-natural treatment and has many good healing qualities. It allows the skin to regenerate new cells quickly, which will greatly reduce any chances of marking or scarring when the skin tag comes off.
How to Avoid Getting Skin Tags When Shaving
Shaving may irritate the skin somewhat, and constant friction ‘may’ partially be what causes them to grow. Because the area that is being shaved, such as the groin or pubic area, is covered with close-fitting clothing, friction will be more prevalent.
It is also common to get small skin tag growths under the armpits. This may be from shaving frequently in a spot that the skin is constantly rubbing against itself. They are also seen more frequently in people who play sports, adults and kids alike, because of the constant movement.
There is really no way that you can avoid a skin tag from forming, but there are plenty of things that you can do that will get rid of them quickly. One of the best ingredients to look for in a skin tag removal product is tea tree oil. This is because it has the ability to not only dry out the tag quickly, but it also has skin healing properties.
How to Get Rid of Skin Tags Painlessly
As mentioned above, we highly recommend tea tree oil. You can either look for it as an ingredient in a skin tag removal product, or you can buy it in its pure form. We suggest that you buy it in its purest form, and one of the best is Apothecary Tea tree oil.
This is what is called an essential oil. These oils come from the leaves of plants or trees and have many natural healing properties. Tea tree oil has many of these properties. They include anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and more.
It works to dry out the skin tag, stopping the blood and oxygen flow. You will notice the tag is turning black. This means that the tag has dried out and is now a dead piece of skin, and will fall off soon.
When you use tea tree oil for this, it is advised that you mix it evenly with what is called a carrier oil. Castor oil is very good to mix with it. This is because the potency of the tea tree oil is very strong, and the olive oil will take the strength down a bit. Although it takes the potency down, it does not take away any of the healing properties. Olive oil will also add more skin healing nutrients, as well.
While there is no real way to avoid getting them, losing weight or using an underarm anti-friction spray or powder deodorant or antiperspirant can help to reduce the friction. Also, wearing looser-fitting clothing in the groin area will cause less friction there.
Since jewelry can cause skin tags to appear on the neck, you can reduce the chance of them forming by not wearing necklaces.
There is no real rhyme or reason for these extra growths of skin, except for the one main factor in many places where tags form. That factor is friction. As stated before, they are nothing to be medically worried about. They are what are called benign growths, and this means that they are not cancerous whatsoever.
If you do cut off a skin tag when you are shaving, after the spot has stopped bleeding, just apply a small bit of tea tree oil to it. This will allow the skin to heal quickly, leaving much less of a chance for infection or scarring. Just remember not to shave over that spot until the scab has gone.