A skin tag, medically called an acrochordon, is a rather pesky skin condition infamous for being extremely difficult to remove. Skin tags are also universally hated by just about everyone that has them. This means that those unfortunate enough to have a skin tag have tried just about every treatment option and remedy to remove their skin tags.
These remedies include lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and picking off their skin tags (don’t do that). This article will focus on one particular home remedy: toothpaste.
How Can Toothpaste Get Rid of Skin Tags?
Toothpaste was obviously not developed to treat skin tags. However, this does not mean that toothpaste cannot remove your skin tags.
Toothpaste will often contain hydrogen peroxide to help in the whole teeth whitening process. Hydrogen peroxide does more than just white teeth though.
It also dries out the skin.
Drying out the skin is exactly what you need to do to remove skin tags. This means that applying toothpaste that contains hydrogen peroxide to your skin tags will eventually make your skin tags dry out and fall off.
However, there are still some things that you should know before grabbing the toothpaste from your medicine cabinet and rubbing it on your skin tags.
Can I Use Any Toothpaste?
The first thing you should know is the type of toothpaste that you need to use to remove a skin tag. You cannot just use any toothpaste and expect positive results.
First, the toothpaste must contain hydrogen peroxide. Toothpaste that contains hydrogen peroxide is often sold as “whitening toothpaste” or something similar to that. Just look for hydrogen peroxide on the ingredient list.
Next, not all toothpaste is created equal. Many toothpastes are now made from gel because that makes them easier to use. Gel toothpaste will often taste better than regular toothpaste too because it contains artificial flavors. These artificial flavors might taste great and make brushing your teeth bearable, but they can attract ants and may have a negative impact on the skin. More importantly, they do nothing to help remove skin tags.
For the two listed reasons, you should always use a plain white toothpaste (not gel) that contains hydrogen peroxide when applying it to your skin tags. This will increase the efficacy and reduce that chance of any negative effects, and this type of toothpaste also tends to cost much less than gel-based toothpaste.
Will Toothpaste Damage My Skin?
Toothpaste does contain hydrogen peroxide which does dry out the skin; this means that using it to treat skin tags can damage your skin and cause wrinkles.Fortunately, you do not have to apply the toothpaste to your skin to remove the skin tag. You can carefully apply the toothpaste to only the skin tag. This should reduce the negative effects of the skin toothpaste on your skin.
Of course, you should also use toothpaste (not gel) that contains hydrogen peroxide and no artificial flavors as mentioned earlier.
How to Use Toothpaste on Skin Tags
Using toothpaste on your skin tags is extremely easy. All you need to do is place a small amount of toothpaste on your finger and then rub it all over your skin tag.Try not to get any toothpaste on your skin because it will dry out your skin and cause wrinkles. Do not worry if you get a little toothpaste on your skin.Simply use a washcloth with lukewarm water and wipe away the excess toothpaste.
Many people like to place a band-aid on their skin tag after applying the toothpaste. Doing so is not a necessary step, but it also won’t have any negative impact on your skin. Instead, it will keep the toothpaste in place and will prevent it from being wiped away.
Also, some people prefer to remove the toothpaste with lukewarm water before they go to sleep. This choice is obviously up to you. If you applied the toothpaste only to your skin tag, then you do not need to remove it before sleep.
How Long Will it Take for My Skin Tag to Fall Off?
The length of time it takes for the skin tag to fall off depends on a few factors that include how frequently you apply the toothpaste to your skin tag and the size of your skin tag. A normal sized skin tag, for example, should take about a week to fall off if you consistently apply toothpaste to it. This includes applying before you go to sleep and immediately after you wake up. You should also apply it every few hours and after you take a shower.
The progress will be slow at first, but it should eventually dry out and fall off with enough time. Do not get excited when it begins to die and rip it out. You want it to fall off naturally as this will ensure that the entire skin tag is dead and will not reappear. Do not pick at the skin tag and do not pull it off yourself.
Applying a band-aid to the skin tag may or may not help. It does tend to dry out the tag a little bit more, however. Overall, the fact that toothpaste takes a somewhat long time to remove the skin tag might be slightly annoying. People usually want to see immediate results. However, for this method to work, you must have patience.
Additionally, immediately removing skin tags often results in permanent scars. You just have to weigh the benefits of immediately removing the skin tag and having a permanent (small) scar versus removing the skin tag over a week and having no scar.
Final Thoughts
Toothpaste for skin tag removal is an excellent choice for those of you that want to utilize more natural remedies to remove a skin tag. It also effectively reduces the risk of scarring and provides you with a method that doesn’t involve having to use any over the counter products you are unsure of. You just have to give it time to work.
Just be careful to not get too much toothpaste on your skin. The hydrogen peroxide will dry out your skin, which can lead to wrinkles. Also, you need to be sure that the growths are in fact just skin tags. If you are unsure, you should seek guidance from your dermatologist to rule out any other skin conditions that can prove to be more serious.
Other natural remedies include apple cider vinegar and the use of tea tree oil with coconut oil if you are interested in alternative skin tag removal methods. Your dermatologist will be able to help guide you through your options and answer any questions you may have.