The good news is that skin tags can be removed. However, you don’t want to try doing this on your own by pulling off a skin tag. You could cause an infection, or the area could start to bleed.
Your best bet is to go to a dermatologist. Dermatologists can remove a skin tag easily by cauterizing the area in which a skin tag is present. This burns the skin tag, causing it to fall off later. The dermatologist may choose to freeze or cut off the skin tag, and a process called litigation can be performed in which blood is cut off from the skin tag, causing it to fall off.
When these procedures are performed, you won’t need to be anesthetized. But a doctor may use a cream or injection to numb the area so that you don’t feel any pain. These tend to be low-risk procedures.
However, the area may bleed if the doctor actually cuts the skin tag. Healthline says that in this instance, doctors may use silver nitrate or electrocautery to stop bleeding. This is why you’ll want to tell your doctor which medications you take regularly, including herbal supplements. Some medications and supplements can increase the risk of bleeding.
Do exactly what your doctor tells you to do after the procedure is performed. It’s easy not to follow doctors’ orders, but it may increase the risk of infection.
Further, be careful of skin tags around the eye area. If a skin tag is near the eye, you won’t want to take your choice of doctor lightly. Consult a dermatologist who regularly removes skin tags from the eye area. Or consider talking to an ophthalmologist, which is a medical doctor who specializes in the eyes.