About Skin Tags, Warts & Verruca's
What are Skin Tags?
Skin tags are painless, benign growths that tend to occur in areas where your skin folds, for example your neck, armpits, groins, breasts and eyelids.
A Skin tag is composed of loose collagen fibres and blood vessels, skin tags can vary in size from a few millimetres up to a few centimetres.
While generally harmless, skin tags can make those who have them feel self-conscious and can even be painful if caught on clothing or jewellery.
What causes Skin Tags?
Though it’s not confirmed what causes skin tags, it is thought that they are created by friction or skin repeatedly rubbing against skin.
Obesity – Due to the body having a larger area of skin-to-skin contact, this can lead to increased friction and a higher risk of skin tag formation.
Pregnancy - During pregnancy the skin undergoes a number of changes and growth, often leading to more areas rubbing and the potential to develop skin tags.
Diabetes - While the exact link between diabetes and skin tags is unconfirmed, what is known is that diabetics are more susceptible to developing them, these tend to be around the neck and under the arms.
What are Warts & Verruca’s?
Warts and verruca’s are small lumps that grow on/in the skin. They can develop in a range of sizes, across the body, although they tend to be more common on the hands and feet.
Most people will experience warts at some stage of their life, while they will eventually go away by themselves it can take years. Warts and verruca’s can be inconvenient, in some cases causing itchiness or pain. Verruca’s on the sole of the foot are more likely to be sore, even causing a pain like standing on a pin.
Likewise, although they are a common issue some individuals may find warts embarrassing or unsightly if they appear on prominent parts of the body. In addition to removing warts that have already appeared, wart removal is a useful way of preventing the further spread of warts and verruca’s to other areas and to other people.
Warts – Warts come in all shapes and sizes, often having a rough texture and firm, raised composition. They are usually round in shape, however some can be long and thin and differ in size from less than 1mm to over 1cm in width. Warts can appear either singularly or in clusters.
Verruca’s – Verruca’s are warts that develop on the soles of the feet. They are generally flat and have a white or yellow appearance with a black dot underneath hard skin. Verruca’s are often more painful than warts, particularly if they appear on an awkward part of the foot.
What causes Warts & Verruca's?
Warts are caused by an infection on the upper layer of skin which is created as a result of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The risk of them spreading is usually fairly low. They’re more likely to spread if you damage the top layer of the wart, as this exposes the virus more.
They can also spread indirectly, if you touch something, like a floor or surface that’s been contaminated with HPV. But this is less common. You’re more likely to get infected this way if your skin is damaged or wet, so infection is often linked to swimming pools and communal showers. You can also spread the infection from one part of your body to another, if you scratch or touch a wart or verruca.
You’re more likely to develop warts and verrucas if you have a weakened immune system. This might be because you have a medical condition or are taking medicines that suppress your immune system.
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