Skin Tag Removal

[Maddy22]

Hi. I had a skin tag growing slowly for many years, my doctor said should be removed if it started to become bothersome. This is my gynecologist as the skin tag is located near the more private area that she examines. More of a nuisance than anything else. Heard in the past that people can remove skin tags easily themselves. I read a lot of info online and at least 50 different posts that said at home removal was simple and listed many different ways for removal. I am not at all squeamish and I became eager and impatient to remove this skin tag. I took the route of tying it off to stop blood flow. After 2 days, it looked as it should, smaller,shriveled and dark. I then cut it off. It bled a little, and was a slight crater. Thought I was good to go. Everything I used was clean and sterile. Kept it clean and treated with peroxide and neosporin and have it covered with a band aid given the spot that it's in. I continue to do this. Where the skin tag was now has a white covering, not soft as if healing. It is not red around it but is this infected? Nothing I read said anything about this afterward and it seems after removal skin is supposed to look pretty normal. Is it too soon and this white will turn to a scab and heal properly? Something else I should do? I am pretty sure anything healing whiteis a sign of infection but was hoping maybe skin tags heal this way. In retrospect whole thing seems pretty gross to do yourself. Given the location I should not have tried this on my own. Years ago I had some lasered off my neck and was simple. I do not plan on trying again. I am concerned about infection, what do you think?

Thank you for your time,
Maddy

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It doesn't sound infected.  I suggest that you apply some bacitracin or neosporin twice a day and let the skin heal.  I don't suggest you repeat the self-removal, though.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff