How to remove skin tags yourself

“Sometimes that inflammation is enough to cause the skin tag to get so irritated that it then falls off,” says Susan Massick, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at the Ohio State

University Wexner Medical Center. If you’re looking for something that’s proven to consistently remove skin tags, “these products don’t work,” she adds. Because vinegar and oils are

irritating, instead of removing the skin tag, you could end up with a skin tag surrounded by inflamed skin. Freeze-away wart remover is another product people have tried to remove skin tags.

The theory is that the cold creates a blister around the skin tag that makes it fall off. The problem is that home wart products aren’t as cold as the liquid nitrogen your dermatologist

uses to remove skin growths. “The skin gets irritated, but not irritated enough for the growth to fall off,” Hu says. Using a wart remover can damage the skin, according to the AAD. RIGHT

WAYS TO REMOVE SKIN TAGS One tried-and-true method for removing small skin tags at home is to tie a thin piece of string around its base, then wait a few days for it to die. “The idea is

that you’re physically trying to cut off its blood supply, which then allows it to shrivel up and fall off,” Massick says. Dental floss works well because it’s the right thickness. You could

also snip off the skin tag at the bottom using a pair of scissors that have been sterilized by boiling them or wiping them off with rubbing alcohol. Of course, you won’t have the benefit of

numbing cream like you would in your dermatologist’s office, so prepare for some pain. If you opt to remove a skin tag this way, “do it at your own risk,” Hu says. She’s had patients come

in after a failed removal attempt with an irritated, bleeding skin tag dangling from their body. “If they had seen me before that whole drama, it would have been easier to take care

of,"” she says. No matter which method you prefer, our experts advise that you always leave larger skin tags to a dermatologist, because they tend to bleed. And don’t try to remove

anything on your face: It could leave a permanent scar.