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Rectal/Anal Skin Tags

Has anybody gone through rectal/anal skin tag removal?  

I had one removed by my doctor in his office.  He used lidocaine (6 shots that were unbelievable painful) to numb the area and cut it off and cauterized the area.  

I'm having a rough time - I feel like I have the worst hemorroid flare up going on right now.  I'm taking colace and fiber supplement, drinking plenty of water and began using the Desitin a few days before they recommended I start.  I dread going to the bathroom, but I go regularily.  I can't wipe so I'm taking showers and bath several times a day.  

Does anybody have any similar experiences or suggestions to offer?  
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11976470 tn?1422547474
Met a cosmetic surgeon who can remove anal skin tag with RF (radio frequency) technology. It takes a layer off at a time and you're left without a scar; healing time is minimal, 2 to 3 days.

Has anyone done this? I've seen rectal surgeons and they usually say its not worth the pain of getting it cut off, but this method was never mentioned.
Helpful - 1
2 Comments
Yes - awesome, do it it's the best way by far
boboto did u do it?? mine is small and its bothering me so bad
Avatar universal
Just wanted to give a follow up. I am over 2 months post procedure. It doesn't hurt anymore and actually bothers me less than it did prior to the procedure. So yay for that. It still bleeds slightly after bowel movements, and bowel movements are rarely pain free. I also still have some skin left over but it is smaller than the original tag. I'll take it I guess. I will probably have this redone to get rid of the remaining tag. It hurt so incredibly bad but I think it will be worth it.
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Day 28 post procedure. Still swollen, still have some pain when going to the bathroom. I am very afraid this was all for nothing. It only looks about 50% reduced from the original size. The doctor says it is external hemorrhoids at this point but I'm not entirely sure that's right cuz the lump left over right now is not very painful and it's a little bit squishy like the tag. I still hope it will go down more but I could honestly cry. This was so painful and I really wanted to look normal down there.
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Day 19 post procedure. Still swollen but it looks a lot better than before the procedure. I hope it goes down more but even if it doesn't, I still don't regret having it done. It was so big before and now it's not that noticeable. There is still discharge from the wound so I hope that improves soon.
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Day 13 post procedure. Still very swollen and still have discharge from the wound. Going to the bathroom is much less painful and I'm barely bleeding. Can't say it looks any better than it did before tho. It is still early so I hope it will improve.
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Days 7 and 8 post procedure. Still bleeding but it is getting better. I had a weird feeling that something popped yesterday morning, followed by a lot of blood coming out. But other than that, the bleeding is really going down. I am back to work and feel fine. Work is not too strenuous, but good luck if you have to go to the bathroom during work. Still bleeding a lot with bowel movements and it's still painful. But it's manageable, unlike how it was the first few days. Also, it is day 9 post procedure now and I'm starting to itch a lot down there. There is still significant swelling but that is also slowly getting better. I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out when things are finally healed but I am skeptical that it will ever be smooth.
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Days 5 and 6 post procedure update. Definitely still in pain. I have to go to work today so I'm hoping I can make it through the whole day. BM is painful, and on day 5 I noticed that I get really bad muscle cramps after going, and those take a few hours to calm down. There is less bleeding when going #2 but definitely still some. Also, the wound itself is still bleeding. It was reduced to clear red tinted fluid but for the past 12 hours, it's bright red. I think I may have stretched the incision site accidently in my sleep. Also, I've noticed that when I have to go #2, I am given very little warning and I have trouble holding it back. I don't think that signifies incontinence, but just stating it in case someone can relate. Swelling is starting to go down. Day 6 post procedure was the first day when I noticed any visual improvement.
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Updates. Day 3 and 4 post procedure have been tough. I was hoping to feel better by now but I am not. The actual incisions are not hurting but the swelling really hurts. Sitting and walking are uncomfortable but not painful. Again, it's not the horror story I was expecting, but I am still unsure of my decision to have this done since it looks worse than before and hurts quite a bit. It seems like it's going to be at least another week before I feel better. I am still bleeding lightly and going to the bathroom is not fun. However, I did not bleed when I went #2 today so I'll take it! Any improvement is great. I had the procedure on a Tuesday and was not able to return to work on Friday. I am sure Monday will be a different story.
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Avatar universal
I had a lima bean sized anal skin tag removed 2 days ago. I have been dealing with this skin tag since the age of 18 when I had a bad case of external hemorrhoids. It made me self conscious and was hurting my sex life. It also caused irritation when I ran, and made it more difficult to wipe. I always had to keep baby wipes on me or use the bathroom at home.

The procedure itself was not bad at all. I had it done in the office under local anesthetic. The lidocaine shots did not hurt because the surgeon did them very slowly. He used an electrical device to cauterize the tag and left the wound open (no stitches). I walked home after the procedure and everything was fine. I did not have any real pain the day of the procedure. Maybe just some stinging.

The following morning, I woke up with literally no pain whatsoever. Later that morning, I had a bm. The bm itself did not hurt, but I did experience aching after and I had to lay down almost immediately to get over the pain. Also, there was a lot of blood in the toilet after I went. I did not try to clean myself up till the pain subsided 15 minutes later. Gross, I know, but I did not want to sit on the toilet for a long time and make the pain worse or cause further dilation of the vessels. I am also wearing period pads so everything is well contained and I showered after as well. The rest of the day was fine, very little pain. I did look at the tag and so far, it does not look any better than it did before surgery. It is swollen in the exact pattern of the actual tag that I had removed. This is normal apparently, and I have faith that it will improve.

Today is day 3 (2 days post procedure) and I am in a little bit of pain. Bm was more painful today than yesterday, and there was still a considerable amount of blood. It feels even more swollen today than yesterday. However, I am still able to walk around and I am not in any serious pain. Now it just feels like having hemorrhoids, but I think that is just due to the swelling.

I wrote this to encourage others to get the procedure done if you are on the fence! I was so scared to have it done and it is not NEARLY as bad as I was expecting. Pain has been a 4/10 at the absolute worst times, which is immediately after going #2, and that only lasts a few minutes. If you are only getting a tag removed, it's really not that big of a deal. Don't be deterred by all the horror stories. However, if you are having a hemorrhoid removed, that is an entirely different story and I am sure that is much more painful. Anyway, I hope to be able to update this in a week or two with good news of a satisfactory result. I can't wait to have a normal butt again!
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Avatar universal
I have an anal skin tag for 20 years! Notice that yes it had gotten big and more sensitive lately. My one problem that worries the hell out of me is....what about those of use who has keloids!!! Is there anyone out there who has terrible scaring. I can deal with pain but not scarring.  
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Mid/late 20's female. Medium pain tolerance.

Had 3 bandings of internal hemroids - 1 band at a time at 2-3 week intervals (do not let your doctor band more than 1 at a time or you will be in excruciating pain) dull ache for first 24 hours but nothing a hot bath couldn't fix, definitely recommend getting the banding done if you have internal hemroids.

Third banding appointment I was told I had two external skin tags and made an appointment for the removal.

Two days ago was my rectal skin tag procedure under local anesthetic. I had one smallish tag and one large tag. I was quite nervous after reading all the horror stories on here but I decided to get it over with. The local anesthetic did not hurt as bad as the reviews on the internet Had me thinking. Yes it does hurt, it's over with quickly and your not going to scream or jump off the table lol.

I've been suffering with chronic back pain for over 15 years and this is nothing compared to a back spasm or buldging disc.

You can feel the pressure of the doc cutting but there's no pain. I got sutures put in - No cauterizing Done. Only part of the surgery that was painful was the local anesthetic.

When I saw the off skin tags I gasped. They were almost double the size of what I thought they were. Was pretty happy to know that those weren't down below anymore!

Got my pain meds after procedure. Went home had meds and stool softener as soon as I got home and drank a bunch of water. Layed down for the rest of the day. No pain for 7 hours, after 7 hours felt slight burn. Sitz bath did not relieve any pain for me in the first 48 hours and I thought it made it worse. Slept a lot. I Kept taking pain meds at 4 hour intervals. I also am on muscle relaxants and anti inflammatories for my back - think this also helps!

Second day wasn't awesome but the pain was tolerable. At this point I didn't think the pain meds were working at all for me but I kept taking them! I slept most of the second day thanks to the muscle relaxants. Set alarm for every 4 hours so I wouldn't forget meds.

Small bowel movement on the second day. Had a sitz bath. The bowel movement itself wasn't bad. The burn after the sitz bath wasn't fun but eventually went away.

Slept throughout the night, some pain.

Third day and I'm feeling pretty good. Pain isn't as bad. Had a tiny bowel movement. Did not strain or push. Whatever comes out comes out. Bathtub to wash up.

My diet is raw veggies, soup broth, couple baby cookies. Nothing too solid. Take your stool softeners as prescribed. I've been drinking coffee, green tea and lots of water.

I've looked at it and there's a small swollen bump - read this will go away- but I actually have an *******? Lol!

No regrets this far. There's pain but it's not excruciating. I would definitely take the first 5 days off work if you can. Or at the very minimum 3 days. Gives it a chance to heal. Limit walking and sitting for the first few days too, again to give it some time to heal.

Laying on your stomach is probably the most comfortable position.

The blow dryer is amazing! After bath I dry the area using the blow dryer. I find if the area is wet it stings. I am not using any sort of cream - doc didn't want me too and he said I do not have to put Epson salts Or anything fancy in the bath.

I have used table salt in the bath, fresh out of Epson salts lol. Will take one bath with the salt once a day and rest without salt. Make sure not to put too much salt or you'll get burning!

Happy to have my butt back! Just waiting for it to heal.






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1 Comments
Update: 7th day after procedure. Everything seems to be healing ok. Inflammation just starting to go down.

Decent amount of pain during bowel movements. Have that sitz bath ready!

I can sit, lay down and walk without pain.

Still getting some bleeding from the area. minimal.

The end of one suture came lose and it's been a pain in the butt - the rest of it is still sutured to my butt. Any tugging going on and it's a good sting.

I'll try to update after everything is healed.


Avatar universal
Female, 38 yrs. I did it Jan. 2017. Dr would only do surgically, under general anesthesia. 2-3 days on the couch and expectation that you will be uncomfortable though no severe pain. Eat lots of fiber and drink water, plus stool softeners daily. Sitz bath daily. Use toilet wipes to ensure you're clean. Limit walking to avoid pain. Know it's tmi but really helped: sleeping open air, no underwear, on my stomach, with anti-chafing ointment (got on Amazon, for adults) helped immensely. No regrets as I was afraid it was inhibiting ability to stay clean and worried about infection.
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Avatar universal
Hi. I have a skin tag for about 10 years now. At times it hurts me very bad. I went to the doctor n he prescribed  me a cream for the pain. I'm really happy for the cream but I just want the anal tag to go away.
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Avatar universal
I had a radiowave removal of a tag when I was 20. The doctor told me patients usually get 4 anesthetic shots for this, but I still felt everything and ended up getting 14...I still felt some pain and was shaking on that table the whole time. Even though I am typically afraid of shots pretty much everywhere on my body, these were not that bad actually - I guess the first one made it numb enough for the subsequent ones. Using the bathroom during the recovery was extremely painful, worse than the most acute hemorrhoid pain. And the worst part is that the skin tag came back after a couple of years... Obviously I can't keep cutting it off every other year. Even though it bothers the hell out of me, another removal via an operation doesn't seem like a good option...
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Avatar universal
I had a skin tag removed in 2009, about the size of a large grape. The pain and swelling was there for 10 days. He prescribed me Tramadol to help with the pain, which dulled it a bit but also made me constipated. BM was excruciating, on a scale of 1-10, 9.5! There was oozing and discharge and no sex for 5-7 days. All was good for about a year but then they came back. First slightly, and now I have 2, and they are worse as they are bigger than the original one. I also noticed that once emptying my bladder, I feel a little bit more urine still needs to come out, a few drops or so. I had not looked into this when I was getting it done and I wish I had read this beforehand. I regret the initial surgery and was not told this was one of the risks involved.
I have thought about removal again and even booked an op with a different surgeon, who said any stronger pain relief is NOT part of the correct management technique. I am extremely self conscious about getting intimate as they are very noticeable. I don't know what to do as the new surgeon said she wishes she could say that they could just be frozen off but no, they need to be surgically removed. I have read that oils do not work. I just want a normal BH!
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Avatar universal
omg...going tomorrow to have the same! Started as a skin tag and then....ripped somehow! Hurts so much as it rubs on my jeans. The nurse said that it isn't that bad and it will be a bit tender...but not too bad. I have gone through tattoos so I figure my pain tolerance is pretty high. The skin tag is very embarrassing for me....since I've been seeing somebody as of late. Wish me luck! Bottoms up! haha!  
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I have been dealing with a medium size tag @ my rectum area & it runs from the outside to the inside about 3/4inches inwards of me though when it gets iratated it can bother me couple weeks or more or less,but when I am eating enough fruits & veggies it reduces to very small & does not bother me @ all,I have been to a surgeon he told me I had so many options that he can cut it off or go through a surgery that actually sounded & looked scarry when I looked it up on youtube how it was done & I said no way so what I will be doing is keep eating right & the pain goes away I just have to deal with the tag,hope this has helped you out....ED
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Avatar universal
HI saw your comment on anal skin tag i have them too stiil thought maybe we can talk/are you male or female? IHATE NEEDLES to arm is tolerable but other place HURTTTTT so bad leave email if we can talk thanks
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Avatar universal
I'm 18 and recently I got a skin tag on my bum. It's been bothering me like crazy because I've never had anything like this before! It doesn't hurt or anything but I would like to get it removed if possible. I believe I got it after roughly wiping since it swelled up into a balloon but by the next day the swelling went down and now its just extra skin. Any advice?
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I'm 44 and have had anal tags for years...I remember when I was around 19, my doctor offered to attach a rubber band like material around them to cut the blood off and that they would eventually shrivel and fall off...I didn't take him up on that for some reason so here I am, 25 years later still contemplating what to do.
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Hi hotbunz88

i had my 2 skin tags removed on March 15, 2013 and im not half way healed. Went to my Dr last week for him to tell me that they mght have to go back there and cut me again since i have what looks like a flap of skin coming out of the cut where the tag was removed. Dr said this was not normal. Im scared and do not want to go thru this again. I hope this flap is just swelling and it will go away. For me this experience has been very painful.

Are you all healed up now?
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Avatar universal
This is an old story but it is very similar to my experience so far. I had surgery on April 23, 2013.  The worse part was when the local anesthesia wore off but for the last two days I have been working and up and about as normal but I don't have a overly active routine so I was able to go back to work right after the procedure.  I haven't looked down there and I refuse to until things have calmed down.  The nurse told me to put about 4-5 ice cubes in a bag and put in the area to lesson the swelling and help with the bleeding with is pretty much gone - I do have some discharge but not an abundance.  My doctor cut off 2 skin tags and said the other may flatten out or he may remove it once the area is healing fine.  I didn't have stitches as he said he cuts them off and leaves the area open to heal and that lessons the chance for scar tissue and tearing.  I have faith in my doctor and I am happy I had it done - so far :)  I will certainly report on heal time and final results for those of you who are interested.  Last thing, I don't jump in the tube after every BM - I have a squirt bottle that I fill with warm water and I thoroughly cleanse the area and pat dry and then I put gauge there to catch any drainage, etc.  Good luck to everyone!
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Avatar universal
This is an old story but it is very similar to my experience so far.  I would add my entire experience so far but your story sums up what I have experienced thus far.   I had surgery on April 23, 2013.  The worse part was when the local anesthesia wore off but for the last two days I have been working and up and about as normal but I don't have a overly active routine so I was able to go back to work right after the procedure.  I haven't looked down there and I refuse to until things have calmed down.  The nurse told me to put about 4-5 ice cubes in a bag and put in the area to lesson the swelling and help with the bleeding with is pretty much gone - I do have some discharge but not an abundance.  My doctor cut off 2 skin tags and said the other may flatten out or he may remove it once the area is healing fine.  I didn't have stitches as he said he cuts them off and leaves the area open to heal and that lessons the chance for scar tissue and tearing.  I have faith in my doctor and I am happy I had it done - so far :)  I will certainly report on heal time and final results for those of you who are interested.  Last thing, I don't jump in the tube after every BM - I have a squirt bottle that I fill with warm water and I thoroughly cleanse the area and pat dry and then I put gauge there to catch any drainage, etc.  Good luck to everyone!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
im about a month and half post op.

posterior tag completely gone. the slit healed up. still anterior tag swelling which looks like anterior tag. and occasionally after BM i wipe I notice fresh blood on my tp. so i made an appt today and did a check up. the dr said there is internal hemoroids which was there before but didnt bother me so she didnt do anything about it i guess after the surgery it was irritated. so she banded the internal hrds. when I got home i used a mirror and took a look. and bam! the anterior swelling was gone!!! and it looked normal FOR ONCE IN 7 YEARS. i guess the swelling i though twas my anterior tag was just residual swellig from the internal hrm. she said the swelling should subside and be patient.

my advice is to keep the area clean. 2-3 scoops of metacil a day. eat less food and mostly veggies. I didnt get any funky smell or discharge. just occasoinal bleeding during my recovery. not too much pain either aside from what was mentioned. sorry I ddint respond sooner! good luck and it will get better i promise!
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