Can You Get Skin Tags on Your Eyelids?
Skin tags are very common and tend to appear or increase in number as we age. They’re more likely to grow in areas where there are folds of skin, such as the groin, armpits, neck, around the anus, and—the answer to, “Can you get skin tags on the eyelids” is most definitely yes…
Skin Tag 101
- What are skin tags?
- How to get rid of skin tags
What are skin tags?
Skin tags are clumps of collagen and blood cells covered with a layer of skin. They have a thin stalk, meaning they hang from the body like a tag—hence the name. Sometimes they’re a shade or two darker than the rest of your skin.
Anything from 25% to 50% of the population have them. There are a few reasons why they might appear—although in some cases no cause can be identified. The most likely are:
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Genetics
- Getting older
Other studies have suggested a link between skin tags and:
- The HPV virus
- Insulin resistance
- Diabetes
- A hereditary condition, known as Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome
However, these findings are in the very early stages. It will take some years before these can be definitively proven or disproven.
Skin tags are harmless and, if they don’t rub on your clothes or cause you any issues, it’s fine to just leave them be. Those that appear in pregnancy often go away of their own accord.
How to get rid of skin tags
You might decide to get rid of skin tags if they’re particularly large, rub on your clothing, or—in the case of skin tags on the eyelids—if they interfere with your vision. You might also choose to have them removed for aesthetic reasons.
There are three ways a doctor can remove a skin tag:
- Cryotherapy: This involves freezing the skin tag with liquid nitrogen. This kills the cells and, after a few weeks, the tag will drop off. Sometimes repeat treatments are needed.
- An excision: The doctor cuts the skin tag away—usually with a scalpel.
- Hyfrecation: This uses electrical energy to kill the skin cells. It effectively “burns” away the skin tag and cauterizes the wound, preventing any bleeding.
Although a skin tag, either on your eyelid or elsewhere on the body, might look simple to remove, it’s important to have it done professionally. Inexpert removal can lead to infection, excessive bleeding, and scarring. Also, removing large skin tags might require stitches.
In addition, a single treatment might not be enough. Your doctor will professionally assess the skin tag or tags that you want removed and advise you of what to expect. This will include letting you know about potential risks, which—while extremely minimal—must always be considered.
To sum up, skin tags—on your eyelids or elsewhere—are harmless but can be removed if necessary. This should always be done by a qualified medical professional—don’t try to do it yourself or by using so-called home remedies.
Skin tags on the eyelids can often be removed by a dermatologist or other appropriately trained medical professional. However, depending on where on the eyelid a skin tag might be, such a procedure might be best performed by an eye doctor who specializes in treating this delicate area.
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