Sun and growths
Seborrheic keratoses and skin tags
Seborrheic keratoses and skin tags are two very common, harmless skin growths. They tend to show up with age, and skin tags are also linked to rubbing and body weight.
Reviewed by Raashid Haque, MD, board-certified dermatologist
For education only. This guide does not diagnose or treat any condition.
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Spots treated or removed leave a small raw area that heals well under petrolatum and a bandage.
Look for
- Plain white petrolatum in a small tube or single-use packets
- Non-stick pads and gentle paper or silicone tape
- Hydrocolloid bandages for shallow wounds and picked spots
Full details, cautions and sourcesAvoid
- Hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on a healing wound
- Letting a wound dry out into a hard scab
- Picking at scabs or crusts
These are products Dr. Haque has reviewed and recommends for different reasons. Unless a product is clearly marked 'Affiliate link,' it is not one. Most are not.
Food and lifestyle may play a part in Seborrheic keratoses and skin tags too
Anti-inflammatory eating and lifestyleLearn about Seborrheic keratoses and skin tags
Seborrheic keratoses (often called SKs) and skin tags (acrochordons) are both benign, meaning they are not cancer and do not turn into cancer. They are not contagious.
Seborrheic keratoses
These are waxy, rough, or slightly scaly bumps that look "stuck on" the skin, a bit like a drop of candle wax or a barnacle. They are usually tan, brown, or black, but can also be light or skin-colored. They often appear on the chest, back, face, scalp, and neck, and never on the palms or soles. Some itch or catch on clothing. They usually start in middle age or later and tend to run in families.
Skin tags
These are small, soft, skin-colored or slightly darker bits of skin that hang from a thin stalk. They show up where skin rubs, such as the neck, underarms, groin, and under the breasts.
On brown and Black skin
SKs are often darker than the surrounding skin. Many small, dark bumps on the face and neck are common in brown and Black skin and are an SK variant called dermatosis papulosa nigra. Treatment can leave lighter or darker marks, which show more on deeper skin tones.
What they are not
They are not warts or moles. Some skin cancers can look similar, so a growth that looks different deserves a closer look.
Removal is usually a cosmetic choice, and insurance often does not cover it unless a growth is irritated or needs testing. Coverage varies, so it helps to ask first.
Self-care
What it is
Because these growths are harmless, many people choose to do nothing. Some people take a dated photo to compare over time.
Often considered when
A growth is not bothering you and has looked the same for a long time.
Less suitable or needs caution when
A growth is changing, bleeding, or looks different from your others. Those need to be examined rather than watched.
What to watch for
Any change in size, color, or shape, new bleeding, or a sore that does not heal.
How long to judge it
There is no deadline. Check your skin now and then, and ask a clinician to look if anything changes.
Questions to ask
- Is this growth definitely an SK or skin tag?
- Which changes should make me come back?
- Should I take photos to track it?
What it is
Friction is thought to contribute to skin tags, though this comes from observation and is not proven. Steps that cut down rubbing may calm irritation and may help prevent new tags in rubbed areas, but they will not remove tags you already have. Ideas include: a barrier ointment (such as petrolatum or zinc oxide) or an anti-chafe balm on rubbing areas; a non-talc absorbent powder in sweaty folds; loose, breathable, moisture-wicking clothing; soft, seamless underwear and bra straps; smooth jewelry; and keeping folds dry.
Often considered when
A skin tag or SK sits in a spot that rubs or sweats, such as the neck, underarm, groin, bra line, or under the breasts.
Less suitable or needs caution when
The area is red, painful, raw, or draining, or you suspect a yeast or other skin infection in a fold. That needs a clinician rather than self-care alone. Ointments and powders are also less suitable if you have reacted to an ingredient before. Powders should not be inhaled, so avoid shaking them near the face.
What to watch for
Redness, warmth, swelling, pus, a rash that spreads, or a new reaction to a product, which can mean infection or irritation.
How long to judge it
Irritation often settles within days to a couple of weeks once rubbing is reduced. Any effect on new tags would take months and is uncertain.
Questions to ask
- Which products are a good fit for the folds where I get rubbing?
- Is this irritated growth something to treat or just protect?
- Could my clothing, straps, or jewelry be the cause?
Over the counter
What it is
Kits that freeze, burn, or dissolve growths, and tying off or cutting a growth with string, nail clippers, or scissors, are sold or shared online. Clinicians generally advise against them.
Often considered when
People often consider these because they seem quick and cheap. A clinician can explain safer routes.
Less suitable or needs caution when
Almost always less suitable: near the eyes, on the face or neck, on any growth you are unsure about, or if you have diabetes or take blood thinners.
What to watch for
Heavy bleeding, infection, scarring, color changes in the skin, and removing a growth that turns out to be something else, which can delay finding a skin cancer.
How long to judge it
Problems can show up within hours to days. A removed growth should ideally be checked by a clinician.
Questions to ask
- Is it safe to remove this at home? If not, why not?
- If I already tried, what should I watch for?
- Should the removed tissue have been examined?
Procedures
What it is
A clinician applies very cold liquid nitrogen to the growth. It usually blisters or crusts, then falls off over days to weeks.
Often considered when
A cosmetic removal of thinner SKs or small skin tags is wanted, or a growth is irritated.
Less suitable or needs caution when
Thick growths may need more than one session. Treatment can lighten or darken skin, which matters more on brown and Black skin. Not ideal if the diagnosis is uncertain.
What to watch for
Stinging, blistering, temporary redness, a lighter or darker spot, and rarely scarring or infection.
How long to judge it
The area usually heals in one to a few weeks. Thick growths may be judged after a repeat session.
Questions to ask
- Is freezing a good fit for my skin tone?
- How likely is a lighter or darker mark?
- Might I need more than one visit?
What it is
After numbing the skin, a clinician scrapes or shaves off a seborrheic keratosis. Sometimes the area is also treated with heat to control bleeding.
Often considered when
An SK is thick, irritated, or bothersome, or a clinician wants the tissue looked at under the microscope.
Less suitable or needs caution when
A tendency to scar or to keloids, bleeding problems, or use of blood thinners may change the plan.
What to watch for
Bleeding, a scab, a pink or lighter or darker area afterward, rarely scarring or infection.
How long to judge it
Healing often takes one to several weeks, and color may take longer to even out.
Questions to ask
- Can the removed tissue be sent for testing?
- What marks might I have afterward on my skin tone?
- What wound care will I need?
What it is
After numbing if needed, a clinician cuts a skin tag off at its base with small scissors or a blade.
Often considered when
Tags are irritated, bleed, catch on clothing or jewelry, or are cosmetically bothersome, including near the eyelids when a clinician judges it appropriate.
Less suitable or needs caution when
Large or very broad-based tags, tags near the eye, or bleeding problems may call for a different approach.
What to watch for
Brief bleeding, soreness, a small scab, and rarely infection or a mark where the tag was.
How long to judge it
Small wounds often heal in about a week or two.
Questions to ask
- Do I need numbing for this one?
- Will more tags likely come back?
- Can this be done safely near my eyelid?
What it is
A small electrical device uses heat to destroy or cut away a growth, and it also seals small blood vessels so there is little bleeding.
Often considered when
Skin tags or SKs where little bleeding is preferred, or when other methods are not a good fit.
Less suitable or needs caution when
People with some implanted electronic devices, such as pacemakers, may need special precautions. Scarring tendency also matters.
What to watch for
Mild pain, a scab, a lighter or darker spot, and rarely scarring.
How long to judge it
Healing usually takes one to a few weeks.
Questions to ask
- Is this method right for my skin tone and health?
- Do I have any devices that matter?
- What marks might remain?
What it is
A clinician looks at the growth with a magnifying tool called a dermatoscope and may take a small sample (biopsy) to be examined under a microscope.
Often considered when
A growth bleeds, changes, itches, looks different from your others, or you are unsure what it is.
Less suitable or needs caution when
Rarely less suitable. Bleeding problems or blood thinners may change how the sample is taken.
What to watch for
Brief bleeding, soreness, and a small scar or mark at the biopsy site.
How long to judge it
Biopsy results often take about one to two weeks.
Questions to ask
- Does this growth need a biopsy?
- How will I get the results?
- What should I watch for in my other growths?
Nobody knows exactly why these growths form, but some patterns are well known:
- Age. Both types become more common as we get older.
- Family history. SKs often run in families.
- Rubbing and chafing. Skin tags are more common in skin folds and where waistbands, bra or bag straps, collars, clothing, or jewelry rub and chafe the skin. Friction is thought to play a part, but this is not proven.
- Body weight and blood sugar. Skin tags are more common with excess weight, insulin resistance, and diabetes.
- Pregnancy. Hormone shifts may bring on new skin tags.
- Irritation. An SK or tag can become sore or inflamed if it is rubbed, scratched, or caught on clothing.
| Topic | Evidence | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Body weight | Promising | Skin tags are more common in people with excess weight, likely because of more skin folds and changes in insulin. It is not clear that weight loss makes existing tags go away, so the main value is for overall health. |
| Blood sugar and metabolic health | Promising | Many skin tags, especially sudden new ones, can go along with insulin resistance or diabetes. A clinician may talk about checking blood sugar. Skin tags do not cause diabetes. |
| Reducing friction | Early | Looser clothing and fewer rubbing straps or necklaces may keep growths from getting irritated. There is little research on whether this prevents new ones. |
| Sun protection and skin checks | Established | Sun protection does not prevent SKs, but it lowers skin cancer risk, and knowing your skin helps you notice a growth that looks different. Regular checks with a clinician are widely recommended for people at higher risk. |
Read: Anti-inflammatory eating
Avoid very restrictive diets, especially for children, unless a clinician is guiding you.
Seborrheic keratoses and skin tags ·
When to get care soon
Most of these growths are harmless, but see a clinician soon if:
- A growth bleeds without being injured, or a sore does not heal.
- A growth changes in size, shape, color, or texture, or grows quickly.
- A growth itches, hurts, or becomes crusted and the cause is not clear.
- One growth looks different from your others, for example darker, uneven in color, or with irregular edges.
- You are not sure what a growth is. Some skin cancers can look like these growths, and only an exam can tell.
- Many new SKs appear suddenly over weeks to months, especially with weight loss, tiredness, or other new symptoms. This is rare, but it is worth a prompt visit.
- A tag or growth near the eyelid bothers your vision or keeps getting irritated.
- A growth is red, warm, swollen, or draining after rubbing or an attempt at home removal, which can be a sign of infection.
About the reviewer
Raashid Haque, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist · Charlotte, NC
- 25+ years of clinical experience
- Dermatology at University of Oklahoma - Chief Resident
- Internship at Baylor College of Medicine
- LSU School of Medicine Shreveport - Valedictorian, AOA