Natural Skin Tag Removal: 7 Home Remedies for Skin Tags

They occur where the skin has been stretched too thin somehow. This is why they are most common in areas which also have stretch marks. I have use ice, dry ice and cryo-wart freeze products to numb them and prevent bleeding, but I would not use a nail clippers. They may crush the tissue more than cut.

Hello, I have a question. When you are talking Apple Cider Vinegar, are you talking about the kind in grocery stores, 5% acidity? Or a special stronger kind?

Does an anal skin tag turn white before it turns black (using ACV)?

Did you ever get an answer? Do anal skin tags turn grey/white before they turn blackish and fall off?

I have an anal skin tag that I'm putting Apple Cider Vinegar on and it has turned white too. Not sure if that means it's working or not?? Do you have any updates?

I just wanted to say thank you soon much for this website. I can't tell you how often I am on here finding answers on ways to help my family out with one ailment or another. I just recently tried tee tree oil on a skin tag and it fell off in 1 1/2 days!

My sister had a red irritated eye and I suggested the steeped green tea remedy and she called me the following day to let me know it worked.

Thank you again for this site, it is very resourceful and allows us to empower ourselves with useful knowledge!

Tea Tree Oil did NOT work for me! I happened to have some on hand and tried it for over 2 weeks. It was a waste of time. (It stinks, in more than one way... It didn't work for me! )

Thank you for your feedback. I've tried dabbing my skin tags with ACV after I wash my face but it had no effect. Clearly, I need to apply the treatment more often. I'm not sure if I will be able to accomplish this as often as you did; however, I think I should be able to do the night-time/band-aid treatment to see how that works.

Hi, I am trying the ACV on my 10 yr. Old Golden Retreiver who has a skintag on his hind leg. Last year he had one and the vet removed it but it cost 540.00!! I have been soaking a femine pad and then placing it on his skintag with a loose bandage. After about a week of this the top of the skintag is dark black... Is this normal? Please advise!!! Thank you.

Have a dog that has one, it has gotten very large in the last few years and now worried she will snag it. Wondering if this method worked for you on your dog? Thanks!

Hello everyone! I lived in the UK for 3 years and found the best remedy for Skin Tags, Lazer Treatment. It takes 2 minutes and it falls off in a couple days. It seems we don't have this method in Canada!

It's Dec 29 and I just noticed some new skin tags on my neck. One in particular is large and itchy; it wasn't there last month. The association between sugar and skin tags seems to be true for my body type. During this holiday season, I've been drinking ginger beer which has a lot of sugar.

On another note, Lugol's iodine does remove the skin tags but it takes over a week of daily application for them to fall off.

Dr. Jonathan Wright noticed several years ago that skin tags increasing on the body can possible indicate that diabetes will develop within several years. Make sure that your blood sugar is stable and your diet is good if skin tags suddenly start to pop up.

Hi Debbie from Portland, once a doctor told me to just pull them out. I didn't have the courage but that goes to show that it is possible to just get rid of them!

How low do you cut the skin tag? Pull it out a bit and cut it at the line where the tag appears to join with the regular skin?

Maybe I should try that, as I've used frankincense and some have gone but not all.

WARNING!

Make sure your oil of oregano is diluted to about 10%. Straight oil of oregano will cause severe chemical burns.

I love this site!! Lugol's Iodine: How different is it to other iodine solutions? I have skin tags on my very itchy eye lids and also near the eyelashes. For past couple of weeks I applied Castor oil & warm compress but the tags are still there. I read Lugol's Iodine works but it is safe to use on eyelids? Also, when applied to weak, brittle nails, do they become strong? Does anyone know where I can buy it in Toronto?

Granulated Lecithin: I was going to take the granules to dissolve lipomas but I read thyroid persons should not take soy based products - is this true? is there an alternative?
Thank you

Hi Nim - I, too, am hypothyroid so I stay far away from soy products. For lecithin, I eat eggs. According to the Egg Farmers of Canada, one large egg contains 1.5 grams of lecithin. Perhaps you can eat eggs instead of taking over-processed lecithin granules. Good luck!

Hi Bess,
Thank you for your reply. I am allergic to eggs :( - any other suggestions are welcome :)

When I apply lugols iodine 5% near my eyes, the vapors cause a slight burning sensation. When iodine is applied to an open wound it causes a severe burning sensation.

Do you mean the iodine we ingest or the one we put on cuts? We have two kinds! I tried the Essential Oil of Oregano on a small one and it melted away very fast, now there is a little red mark, I will wait and see whether it also disappears. I will try the iodine in a little one on my neck which is not disappearing so fast as soon as you tell me what kind of iodine you used!

I used clear nail polish on my skin tags and they dried up & fell off. Put clear nail poilish on each skin tag once or twice a day till it falls off .. could take 4-10 days depending on the size of the tag, but it really works!

Does the nail polish method leave a mark after it falls off?

Hello, if I use the nail polish method, will it leave a mark, even after the skin tag has fallen off?

OMG.. I tried the nail clipper route on a couple of skin tages... Man that hurt and it didnt get down to the skin without cutting my neck.. They are still there and now sore.. Not a good idea... Trying tea tree oil on one but not liking that much either.. Smells sooooo strong.. Will try the ACV though... See if that works.. Thanks all for the info.

Putting nail polish on a skin tag will kill it in a few days. Make sure you get it around the neck of the tag so it hardens and chokes it off. If the color of the polish bothers you, put a band aid on it or make up a good story.

please did you remove the dried layer before the next application or you just kept putting it on it? also, is it normal for it to sting for some minutes?

You can either remove the dried nail polish or apply it right over it if it's still mostly stuck on there. Yes, it normally feels tingly after you put it on ..

There's been some studies that show skin tags being associated with the body not being able process insulin correctly. I have PCOS, a condition that causes insulin resistance among many other symptoms. Many women that I know with this condition have skin tags, and so do many other people who are pre diabetic or have syndrome x which is also related to the body not being able to process sugar and insulin correctly. Having large amount of heavy metals in the body may also cause it, but I have been using natural deodorants for years and still get them.

Oh baking soda, and my beloved castor oil!! I swear by both of them, did you know castro oil cured my pink eye? I caught it early and saw online add a drop twice a day, it stopped the itch and pain with one drop!!! So anyway I did add one drop to both eyes and it was GONE in one day but I did it again for one more day. I went to the Doctors for a diff reason and told him to check my eyes, I said I used a home remedy of castor oil to cure it, she just raised his eye brows and shook his head yes, and when he looked in my eye, he says he sees NO INFECTION.. When you pull my eye lid down you see a tiny bit of yellow dr says that will rinse out on its own, could be from the oil.. Im so happy with that home cure I could have suffered big time, it was awful for me the first day but urgent care was closed. C. Oil rocks!

Baking soda.. That stuff cures my gout for the past 4 years or more.. I did it one day I was desperate for help on a foot pain and read online it could be gout, so I looked up gout home cures and back then it was SOOO HARD TO FIND there were books saying buy me and learn how to cure your gout from home with simple items you have in your home already.. But I kept digging and found one site ONLY ONE, today there are hundreds.. Told me the steps I followed them and with in less than a day it was all gone, I have since tested it over and over and its never failed me!!!!

Just cut the thing off!!! I struggled in the bathroom for hours yesterday with nail clippers in my hand...squirming at the thought of cutting my skin tag off my neck. Every time I would try, it would hurt so much that I would chicken out...BUT....After coming across this web site, it seemed that the best method over all was iodine...so I as all set to go to the store and buy some. But then I came across someones post saying that she held ice on it for 10 minutes and then just cut the darn thing off! I can't believe I didnt think of something so simple! After all, people numb up earlobes to peirce ears...why not numb up your skin to cut off skin tags! Sure enough...I DIDN"T FEEL A THING!!!! Trust me!!! Don't dab iodine on it for weeks, wait for it to turn black and fall off! Just numb it and cut it!!!

P.S. Make sure you first dis-infect your clippers with alcohal...and after its all done...just put some neosporin and a bandaid just in case.

ICE! I've been struggling with the removal decision for years but, after having been married for 13 years and now dating... I just HAD to get rid of this thing on my neck! I hate it! It's unsightly and I'm convinced it's a turn off.

I sterilized my nail clippers and decided to read up on others methods and experiences... And ICE, totally forgot that I could numb it. Wow, so simple.

Here's goes nuthin'! (snip! )

Thank you!

Can you please tell me which apple cider vinegar can I use? I am afraid of buying a diluted version which won't work on skin tags.

After I finished cutting off two skin tags from my thigh, I had to laugh at the remark Anne from Cleveland made -- "just cut the thing off!", because that's what I ended up doing and it was no big deal at all, but I thought it would be until I cut off the first one and the second tag was easy as well. First, cleanse the area thoroughly and let dry. Make sure you have sanitized the scissors you will be using (straight scissors are preferred). I used a small scissors that had never been used before. Also, take ice and numb the tag right before and cut off quickly. Easy! The results were great. A little bleeding which stopped with minimal compression with a cotton ball, cleanse and bandage. Both areas are healing fine (day after) and no problems.

I tried the string method with no luck for a while and grew tired of waiting.

Scissor method is quick and easy with instant results. I an very happy with results.

After unsuccessfully trying to remove a skin tag with both bloodroot (dermatend) and iodine, i nervously decided to try the nail clipper method. i used brand new, very sharp, straight nail clippers (some are curved, but i would recommend straight ones so you get a cleaner cut.) the trick is to just do it quickly, and you should feel suprisingly little pain. there was a bit of bleeding, but the entire thing came off in one fell swoop. it has been less than a week since i cut it off, and already it is healing quite nicely. highly recommended!

My doctor used surgical sissors and pulled the tag tight and clipped it off. I felt a momentary small ouch and then it was gone. However: they came back in and in large numbers. I wonder if it's some sort of reaction to certain minerals in our one a day vitamins?

ailment: skin tag, specially-anal tag or sentinel tag

remedy: string method

i have tried so many things... i tried wart remover for many months and although it would peel some of the skin it would not make much of a difference and it was really painful. i also tried sally hansen hard as nails which supposedly if u put on twice a day will rid u of your problem and although it did shrink a bit it still did not go away. my tag was about 1/4 of an inch so maybe it was too long for that??? i also tried just applying tea tree oil. so finally i had HAD it...

first of all i have to say that it is really important to apply hydrogen peroxide a few times a day to the tag, KEEP IT CLEAN while you use this method. who knows what could happen if you do not KEEP IT CLEAN. it is in the anal area after all. it is utterly important to especially clean the tag after every bowel movement. also u will need a good sized hand mirror. i would hold it between my knees to see the tag or place it somewhere at a good angle to see the tag. you will also need a distinctive colored string like red and some cuticle scissors to cut the string. so this is what i did...

after applying some wart remover for a few days my tag seemed to be long and swollen enough to tie a string around it. i had tried this before with no luck but the drying action of the wart remover helped the string to stay tied. i tried floss but it slipped off, sewing string is the best bet. the first couple days the string slipped off, especially u know... while going to the bathroom... but i kept applying wart remover just to help the tag stay dry and the string to stay on. finally i had no problem with it slipping after a few days. the tag started to swell and turn blistered and black on the underside but the whole tag never turned black, so i was worried because from what i had read i thought it would and that maybe it wouldn't work. i also started to notice after a few days if the string fell off there was a definite indentation of where the string used to be which made tieing the string that much easier. each day i would take a bath to soften the tag and examine it. after getting out of the bath i would tie another string around it as tight as i could without removing the previous string i applied. sometimes the strings would come off during the day but i would just tie a new string around it and apply wart remover again to help the string stay on. usually i would tie two string just to make sure it was tight enough. the tighter the better. anyways after about 3 days the tag started to hurt a bit, it wasn't that bad or anything i just took like 3 advil and i was fine and could sleep. i didn't even care honestly because i could tell it was working, i definitely was noticing seperation from the skin. so i tied a new string and continued with the process. it took just ten days for my tag to fall off. if you can manage to keep the string on it will fall off in less time. but i promise it works and after 4 months of trying to get rid of this damn thing it finally came off today. the last couple days i noticed the skin dying off and i started trying to twist it a bit. i noticed today that when i pinched it i felt no sensation, just at the base. so i started to twist it and i twisted it right off with no pain at all! it's probably best if u don't mess with it and just leave the thing alone but i just couldn't help it. i wanted it OFF.

even though i'm aware that this is definitely TMI i really hope this helps someone. all the other posts i could find had no detail and i was really looking for someone to post something this specific. good luck and remember that even if u get rid of a tag it is the symptom of a greater problem. i suspect that i might have had a fissure or a hemmie that went unnoticed. i already eat healthy and get a lot of fiber in my diet but i plan on taking metamucil every night from now on and taking beano with meals that bother my stomach. i also plan on being extra gentle down there with the toilet paper and buying some witchhazel pads and also applying prep h for a while. it's important to be good to your body because u never know when another tag just might pop up again!!!

Did it hurt for the first few days? I tried this method today for the same "area" and it is quite painful for the first several hours. I am wondering if I will be able to function (gym, going out) or if I should just go see a specialist?

Thank you so much for your post Elizabeth! Its exactly what I needed! I went into the hospital hoping that they would say that they are hemeroids and that they would remove them for me.... However I found out that its a fissure and that bit of skin was just a skin tag... I want it off so badly that I was so disappointed! Your post gave me hope that I will soon be rid of this thing and so simply right from home! I will try the string thing now... Thanks again!

I'm dealing with this problem right now. Yours are the details that I need. I have tried duct tape. That was just bothersome and never stayed on. Wart removing medicine, that just irritated the area. I've tried the dental floss string and it kept falling off the next day and was quite painful. Maybe mine is too big? I have courage to try the string again. I hate this thing!! It affects my life a lot! I shut the lights off when I'm intimate with my husband and hope his hands don't wander too far down to notice. It's all I think.... How can I rid myself of this without causing damage to my privates!? Freezing it off is my next step but the warnings on the package scare me that it will cause problems if it's not done correctly. Please please let this string thing work!

Has anyone tried using a Boric Acid Solution? I am thinking about trying it. I ordered a bottle of boriac acid from amazon. I know it is a mild acid used for the eyes for pink eye when I was a child.

I had several small skin tags on my neck and a larger one on my breast. Since I am impatient I snipped the ones on my neck with sterilized cuticle cutters. I do not recommend nail clippers as they are all curved and you need something straight. I suppose nail scissors would work but I prefer something that you just compress and it is done. I decided that since the one on my breast was larger and in a more sensitive area I would try a combination of methods. I tried the iodine method along with tying. Within days it did turn dark purple but within a week it started oozing blood. I decided enough was enough. I put ice on it for 10 minutes and then snipped it right off. I didn't feel a thing. I wasn't even sure that I had gotten it until I moved the cutters and found the tag on the cutters. That would be my suggestion . . . just cut the darn things off!

I had skin tags about three years ago on my inner thigh about three inches away from my private area. Went to the dermatologist and she numbed the area and snipped them off. Got another skin tag around the same area about a year ago. It was getting a little bigger so I knew it was time for it to go. After reading the posts here, I just decided snipping it was the quickest method. I just cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol, pulled the tag away from the skin with twizzers, and cut it off with nail scissors. It did not hurt at all. I dabbed some peroxide on it and applied pressure on the bleeding, then rubbed on some neosporin and put a round band aid on it. Would never hesitate to use this method again-just sorry I waited so long to do it.

Great site, love all the remedies. Salicylic Acid helps remove skin tags! Ok I have been using salicylic acid on partner's skin tags, applied once daily (bedtime) for almost 1 week, most darkend in color and look like they will fall of any day now. He said it stings a little but for a minute or two.

where can you buy salicylic acid?? I've looked for years and can't find any over-the-counter.

If you put an aspirin in water to dissolve and place it on tag will that help remove it?

Stridex Medicated Pads contain Salicylic Acid.

I bought a solution of high %-age salicylic acid from "Sally's" (Beauty Supply) for callouses on my feet. So try looking in the foot/beauty section of your local pharmacy or supercenter. Decided to use it today to see if it would do anything for my tag. Going to try it for a couple days twice a day and report back just for the sake of this remedy. If it doesn't work - because it burns like fire due to the 'delicate' nature of my tag - I'm going to try iodine and/or AC vinegar and/or tea tree oil - all of which I have on hand already.

LOVE this site! Will report my results.

I forgot to report the main reason I was responding:

Salicylic acid is the primary component in 'compound w' or other liquid wart removers. Hope this helps.

Salicylic Acid is used as a treatment for Plantar Warts and can be purchased at the local pharmacy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Salicylic acid - The treatment of warts by keratolysis involves the peeling away of dead surface skin cells with Keratolytic chemicals such as salicylic acid or trichloroacetic acid. These are available in over-the-counter products or, in higher concentrations, may need to be prescribed in a by a physician.

Safety warning:Topically, as a beta-hydroxy acid (and unlike alpha-hydroxy acids) salicylic acid is capable of penetrating and breaking-down fats and lipids, making it capable of causing moderate chemical burns of the skin if at very high concentrations (such as near or actually the majority ingredient) within a solvent. It is capable of damaging the lining of pores in such cases if the solvent is alcohol, acetone, or an oil. Over-the-counter limits are set at 2% for topical left on the face and 3% for those expected to be washed off, such as acne cleansers or shampoo. Caution should be exercised when handling large volumes of salicylic acid, and protective gloves are recommended for any repeat, prolonged exposure. 17% salicylic acid, which is often sold for wart removal, should not be applied to the face and should not be used for acne treatment. Even for wart removal, such a solution should only be applied twice a day.

I had three skin tags but they are history now. Well sort of. I had one on my neck for YEARS, which was probably caused by necklaces constantly rubbing that area, I had one on my breast, and another on my lower back. I will have to get the lower back one again. It was hard to reach back there and I didn't get it all.

Anyway, I read about using iodine and waiting a few weeks for the skin tags to turn black and fall off and I read about just using the nail clipper. So, that day, I went to the store and bought some iodine. As I opened up the bottle and dabbed some on my neck, I caught the glimmer of my nail clippers out of the corner of my eye. I thought, do I real want to have some discolored black thing on my neck for two plus weeks? I decided, no, and I sanitized the nail clippers.

I did the neck one first. Eh, just a pinch and no blood, I did the one on my breast, just a sharp pinch and gone. It bled just a tiny bit. Then, using mirrors, I did the one on my back. That one was a bit more of a pinch and it bled like when nicking your leg shaving. Unfortunately, I can't get my squeamish boyfriend to help me finish the one off on my back, so I have to try it again.

I recommend the nail clippers for a quick, free, virtually painless, and not that messy of a job.