Are you interested in the removal of the skin tag on your eyelids or eyelashes?
It is easy to get rid of the tiny lumps of “hanging skin” with simple home remedies or OTC products.
Unwanted growth of skin tags on the face, especially on the eyelids, eyelashes, or eyebrows, is an ugly aberration in your appearance.
Overgrown tags near the eyes can cause irritation and pain and partially impair vision.
What is a skin tag?
According to Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor of eMedicine Health, “A skin tag typically is a tiny, benign outpouching of skin that is typically connected to the underlying skin by a thin stalk.”
Acrochordon is the medical term assigned to skin tags. It is also known by other names, such as fibroepithelial polyps (FEP), soft fibromas, pedunculated fibromas, or fibroma pendulans.
Acrochordons are common benign neoplasms of the skin that may cause some nuisance for patients. Polyps around the neck, armpit, and groin area may cause pain, itching, and burning sensations while they frequently rub against clothes.
They commonly occur in skin folds because of the friction created by skin rubbing against the skin.
Insulin resistance and diabetes syndrome can also be the cause of skin tags over the body.
Wearing tight and coarse clothes regularly can cause friction on the folds of the skin, which leads to their growth.
A study conducted by a group of dermatologists from Spain observed that “an obese patient engaged in a job that required constant lifting of hands developed a pattern of skin tags along with the bra straps from the constant friction.”
Obese people wearing tight clothes have a higher chance of getting skin tags.
According to a study published in 2010, “Skin tags were directly associated with HOMA-IR values (odds ratio = 1.4), hypertriglyceridemia, and body mass index, irrespective of adjustment for diabetes mellitus, hormonal changes, age, skin phototype, gender, family history of diabetes mellitus, or waist ratio.”
No, skin tags don’t go away on their own unless you use some medication.
The tags on the skin that develop during pregnancy may sometimes go away after the pregnancy.
There are several treatment options available for getting rid of skin tags.
If you think that they will go away on their own, it is not going to happen.
In most cases, they keep growing, and multiple tags may appear in the same area of the skin.
Many people who get skin tags are unaware of the reasons for their occurrence and how to get rid of them.
It is out of ignorance that some people never opt for treatment, hoping that the tags will disappear on their own.
Before we discuss “how to remove a skin tag,” let us see why tags appear around the eyes.
Skin tags may occur on any part of the body, but they most commonly appear on the neck, groin folds, armpits, or under the breasts.
The appearance of isolated skin tags around the eyes, under the eyebrows, and close to the eyelashes is also common.
A person can get any number of tags on any part of the body. Almost every person will get a few of them at some point in their lives. Fortunately, they appear in very small or barely visible sizes for most people.
They are wart-like growths that typically appear in damp and folded areas of the skin. They appear on the lids of the eyes because of the skin folds and dampness around the eyes.
The accumulation of excess collagen and thicker blood vessels in the eye contour can also result in tags.
Eyelids are also subjected to rigorous rubbing of the skin fold while we open and close the eyes several times a day.
Patients suffering from obesity, human papillomavirus infection, or diabetes may develop tags around the eyes.
A pregnant woman might develop tags on the skin because of sudden changes in hormones.
People on excessive steroids are vulnerable to getting skin tags.
Hereditary factors and overuse of cosmetics can also give rise to tags.
Skin tag on eyelid removal
The removal of eyelid skin tags is a more careful process than those in other areas of the body.
Eyelids are extremely delicate areas of the body. Any harsh treatment done around the eyes may cause damage to the eyes and impair vision.
It is necessary to get rid of skin tags on the eyelids, as they can hurt the eyes and make the patient look ugly.
They won’t go away on their own unless they are treated.
Its removal can be done by a dermatologist or by using home remedies.
After removal, some patients develop a scar, which may gradually disappear over time.
Let us look at some of the finest options to remove the skin tags around the eyes.
Clinical Processes
A dermatologist can clinically remove the tags around the eyes through processes such as cauterization, incision, or cryogenics.
Cryotherapy
It’s a proven skin tag and wart removal procedure. It’s a simple and comfortable process that is completed within a few minutes.
Cryotherapy applies extreme cold to freeze off the tags. Usually, the therapist will apply liquid nitrogen to your skin with a pair of tweezers or a cotton swab. The liquid may produce a slight burning sensation for a while. The frozen tag or wart will fall off within ten days.
Ligation
A therapist ties a band at the base of the skin tag to cut off its blood flow during a ligation procedure. About a week after, without a supply of blood, the cells die, and the tags come off the skin.
Cauterization
During the cauterization procedure, the tag on the skin is burned off at the stalk using heat through electrolysis. This may not be a suitable process to eliminate tags around sensitive areas around the eyes, below the brows, or genitals.
Surgery
Through the surgical process, the doctor snips off tags with surgical scissors or a scalpel. It may cause temporary bleeding and pain; it also can cause scars on the skin. This may not be an ideal solution to get rid of tags anywhere on the face.
Over-the-counter treatments
Most patients prefer to use over-the-counter products to get rid of skin tags around the eyes. Many such products are available from healthcare providers and online shops. They are effective and cheaper than surgical treatments by a doctor. It is wise to do thorough research before you pick the right OTC solution.
Some of my favorite OTC products are:
- Micro TagBand
- Skinprov
- Freeze therapy kit
- Herbal blends
- Tea tree oil
- Skin tag removal cream
It is possible to get rid of skin tags on the eyelids and around the eyelashes without visiting a doctor. You can easily make use of some of the products that are already in your kitchen or medicine cabinet. Home remedies usually help to dry out the tags and finally make them fall off.
Here are some of the best home remedies:
1. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is a time-tested remedy for skin tag removal that works just like any of the medicated creams.
The antiseptic properties of this oil cut off the tag’s blood supply, causing it to fall off. The anti-oxidants in TTO help to rejuvenate the skin around the tags. The anti-inflammatory ingredients in TTO help reduce pain or swelling around the tags, especially when they are hurt.
2. Baking soda
Baking soda contains exfoliating properties that are helpful for the removal of tags below the eyebrows.
Take half a teaspoon of baking soda and turn it into a smooth paste by adding enough warm water. Gently apply the baking soda paste to the tags in a circular motion. Repeat the application three times a day until the tags fall off. Do not spill the baking soda paste into your eyes.
3. Castor oil
Castor oil dissolves the collagen and disintegrates the skin tissues that form the tags. Castor oil works best when it is combined with baking soda.
Apply a mixture of castor oil and baking soda in a 2:1 ratio. It is better to leave the medication overnight on the skin tags and rinse it off in the morning with warm water.
Make sure to apply the preparation all over the tags without spilling the paste into the eyes.
4. Using apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of the finest remedies for the removal of tags around the eyes.
ACV contains acetic acid, which can break down the extra growth of skin cells responsible for the formation of tags.
Apply the ACV solution directly to the tags with the help of a cotton ball or swab. You can rinse the eye contour after 3 hours of applying ACV to the tags.
Do not drop even little ACV particles in your eyes, or else it may badly hurt the eyes.
Repeat the treatment three times a day until the skin tags are removed.
5. Frankincense oil
Frankincense oil is a traditional remedy for skin tag removal from any area of the body.
It is important to remind you that some types of skin may not tolerate frankincense oil. Perform a patch test before you start using this oil. It is safe to use diluted frankincense oil for removing skin tags.
Apply frankincense oil directly on skin tags by using a clean cotton ball or swab. Repeat the treatment twice a day until the tags are completely gone. It may take more than a month to get the expected results from the treatment.
6. Tying it off with dental floss
With dental floss or cotton thread, make a knot around the base of the tags. Gradually tighten the knot little by little each day. Once the blood supply is cut off, the tags will dry and fall off within a week.
This technique will not work for flat skin tags; also not so convenient to do it on the face and around the eyes. Use it as a last resort only.
How long does it take a skin tag to fall off?
Everyone wants to make the skin tags fall off at the earliest possible time.
The speed at which you can remove skin tags depends on the type of treatment you opt for.
Home remedies may take up to two months to produce the desired results.
Some of the OTC products work faster, and it may take up to 3 weeks for the complete removal. Using treatment processes such as cauterization, incision, or cryogenics can help you get rid of the tags on the skin in less than ten days.
It isn’t very comfortable to have ugly-looking skin tags around the eyes and below the brows. If they are large ones, they may even affect the individual’s proper vision.
The tags can become infected if you irritate them by picking or pulling them.
Unfortunately, there are no sure-fire ways to prevent the occurrence of skin tags except for a few precautions.
According to a few pieces of medical research, skin tags can be an indication of a pre-diabetic symptom.
Some of the ways you can prevent their occurrence include:
- use a good quality eye contour rejuvenation cream that removes wrinkles and puffiness
- avoid using tight-fitting spectacles that cause friction
- adopt a healthy lifestyle
- avoid food that contains unhealthy fats and sugar
- drink a lot of water
- reduce body weight
- drink enough water (8-12 glasses)
- engage in physical exercises daily for more than 30 minutes
- get the skin tags on eyelids treated and removed at the initial stages itself
- do not use any makeup products that damage the skin tissues.
Final Thoughts
Skin tags on the eyelids and other parts of the body make you feel uncomfortable and diminish your beautiful appearance.
Skin tags on eyelids are a non-painful issue unless you irritate them by pulling or rubbing them. However, it is essential to get rid of them for cosmetic reasons.
It is simple and easy to remove skin tags with home remedies, over-the-counter products, or clinical procedures under the supervision of a dermatologist.
Minimize the occurrence of skin tag growth under the eyebrows and around the eyes through proper skincare.
Keep the skin around the eyes and brows soft and supple with eye contouring cream. Use gentle face scrubs at least three times a week to keep skin pores open and remove dry skin.
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