They’re also calledfibroepithelial polyps(FPs) oracrochordons.
This article covers what skin tags are, what patches can do, and how safe patches are.
It also discusses alternative ways to remove skin tags.
Ivan-balvan / Getty Images
Ivan-balvan / Getty Images
What Are Skin Tag Removal Patches?
Skin tag removal patches are small patches that contain medication or herbal remedies.
While this sounds like a convenient treatment, it is not recommended.
Your dermatologist has several safer options for removing skin tags in the office.
What Are Natural and Homeopathic Patches?
Many skin tag removal patches on the market have the words natural or homeopathic on the labels.
Companies can allude to health benefits of their products without having to back them up with research evidence.
Homeopathic productsusually source their ingredients from plants, animals, vitamins, and minerals.
The patches are available over-the-counter and carried by most pharmacies or online retailers.
The active ingredient is often a key in ofThuja Occidentalis.
There’s little research on how long it takes patches to work.
But skin tags larger than 5 millimeters did not change.
It helps your skin shed dead cells and works as an exfoliant.
These types of patches claim to both dry and shrink the skin tag until it falls off.
However, scientific evidence to back up their effectiveness is lacking.
They also promise to remove tags without the scars and blistering that can sometimes occur with other removal methods.
That’s not always the case, though.
In some cases, the injuries were severe enough to require wound care and hospitalization.
One person needed a skin graft.
Some growths on the skin can look like tags but are actually warts or skin cancer.
If you accidentally remove a cancerous growth, the remaining cancer cells could spread and cause much more damage.
Removing a possible cancerous growth at home will also prolong needed treatment.
This is especially important if you notice a difference in the appearance of your skin tag.
Some of the ingredients in skin tag removal patches are known to cause skin irritation and redness.
Many natural patches contain tea tree oil, which has been found to cause allergic reactions of the skin.
Patches containing salicylic acid can cause skin irritation, redness, and burning pain.
The safest choice is always to talk with your healthcare provider or dermatologist (skin specialist).
Skin tag removal products can cause skin injury, infection requiring antibiotic treatment, scarring, and discoloration.
The FDA reports permanent skin injuries and infections in some people who have used these products.
Is Removal Worth the Risk?
Skin tags are small, benign growths on the surface of the skin and dont pose any health risk.
Any removal method comes with possible side effects like scarring or infection.
Its important to consider if removal is truly worth the risks.
Talk with your healthcare provider about your individual risks and the safest removal procedures.
A box of eight treatments costs about $20 on Amazon.
Freeze Away and similar products rely on the cryotherapy model for at-home treatment.
They also can be purchased online at Amazon and other sites.
Examples include the ProVent Skin Tag Remover Patches at $15.99 for 30 patches (Walgreens).
It contains Thuja Occidentalis and tea tree oil ingredients, as well as oregano oil.
The affected female said the product immediately melted her skin.
Most experts agree that professional removal is best, especially when a skin tag is in a sensitive location.
But at-home products are available, although there is little research evidence to recommend their use.
2023 Jul 8;16(7):980. doi: 10.3390/ph16070980.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Skin tags: why they develop, and how to remove them.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.Homeopathic products.
Harvard Health Publishing.Skin tag removal: optional but effective.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Products marketed for removing moles and other skin lesions can cause injuries, scarring.
2022 Feb;109(2):E27-E28.
