Awful Skin Tabs

Dermatology   -    My 46 yr old son has thousands of skin tabs under his arms.  There are tiny tabs growing SOLID on every area of skin under the arms plus the larger ones.  Dermatologists won't help.  The one we saw today told him to tie thread around them but that is impossible.  There are too many and most are too small.  They get irritated, bleed, catch on his clothing, become infected.   Please new friends, any suggestions?  Thank You,  Yvonne

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Skin tag is a benign condition and you do not have to worry about it. These tiny skin growths generally cause no symptoms unless they are repeatedly irritated. The commonest area where they occur are armpits, groins, neckfolds etc. Treatment options include removing with scissors, freezing (using liquid nitrogen), and burning (using medical electric cautery at the physician's office). You should consult a dermatologist to find out which treatment is the best one for your son.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.