A:

Skin tags are common growths that can appear on any area of the body. Most often they are found in skin creases, such as around the neck, under the arms, and in the groin. They are not cancer. (Doctors call growths that are not cancerous benign.) Skin tags are flesh-colored, pink, or brown. They usually hang from a short, thin stalk of skin.

The tendency to develop skin tags is often inherited. They are often associated with obesity and sometimes with type II diabetes. These growths are not usually painful unless they are caught in clothing or otherwise irritated.

Frequent irritation also likely plays a role in developing skin tags, especially in people who are overweight. Although there is no way to prevent skin tags, losing weight if one is obese may be helpful. This could reduce the chance of skin tags developing and reduce the irritation of existing skin tags from constant friction.

If you want your skin tags removed, it is best to see a doctor to have them removed with sterile equipment. Attempting to remove them yourself can lead to irritation and possibly infection.

If you have a large number of skin tags, see your doctor for a skin exam. In very rare, inherited cases, skin tags along with certain other benign growths can result in Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, with a tendency to develop certain internal cancers.