Skin Tags and Moles

Skin tags and moles are two examples of growths that can be found on the skin.

A skin tag, known medically as Acrochordon, is usually small, soft and round in appearance tissue and is attached to the skin by a stalk.

They do not often cause any harm and are found to develop in places on the face and body where the skin has a deeper crease, such as neck, eyelids, armpits, under the breasts, buttocks or groin. There is often no known cause for a skin tag, but it is commonly found to occur in older people or particularly overweight. It is also thought that hormone levels and ageing changes can contribute to developing skin tags. 

Moles can also appear anywhere on the body or face, but these are usually down to our genetic make-up and like skin tags, are often found to be harmless. In appearance, moles can be pink or brown, with a distinctly round or oval shape that can be either smooth or flat or raised.

Some moles can result from over-exposure to the sun, increasing Melanin’s production in the skin, which causes dark patches to develop. In this case, it is crucial to ensure you use an effective sun-screening product, appropriate for your skin type. Moles will need monitoring if they change in shape (get asymmetric, irregular border), colour, size, or texture, become itchy or start bleeding.