You will go through a lot of changes during pregnancy than you can count. Increasing weight, food cravings, morning sickness are part and parcel of these nine months that you know about. You may also begin to notice other unwanted changes like stretch marks, veins and so on. However, the appearance of skin tags might come as a surprise. This article will help you understand the causes and treatment methods of skin tags.
Skin tags are basically small millimetre-sizes bumps on the skin that resemble little blobs. They usually appear in areas such as the neck, eyelids, arms, groin, armpits, legs, and so on. Skin tags on the breast during pregnancy are also common. Skin tags appear randomly and are impossible to predict based on medical history. Also, pregnant women who have already had skin tags might see them increase in number and size during the progression of their pregnancy. Luckily, they usually fall off after you give birth.
Skin tags usually occur in around twenty-five percent of all pregnant women; however, the likelihood of their appearance increases with women who are obese, diabetic or above the age of fifty.
Here are seven features shared by skin tags that occur during pregnancy:
Skin tags are polyps emerging from the skin, possessing a round head and a narrow strip of skin that connects the head to your body. Their colour also changes depending on the type of your skin, for example, white women usually have white or pink skin tags, whereas tan women can have dark or black skin tags.
There are several factors involved in the occurrence of skin tags during pregnancy:
The simple answer to this question is no. Skin tags are a purely cosmetic issue that, in the worst case, might cause some mild discomfort. There is no reason to be worried about them hurting your pregnancy in any way, nor are they indicative of an underlying disorder such as cancer.
Some home remedies include dabbing them with apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil or vitamin E oil. Care must be taken when using any of these treatments without your doctor’s permission.
The final option is laser removal, where a high-intensity beam of light is used to burn the skin tags off your body.
Please note that unless the skin tag is causing you discomfort your doctor might refuse to treat you for them during the pregnancy.
Skin tags cannot be prevented. However, if their appearance is linked to obesity, losing some weight might provide some relief. Please be extra careful when attempting cardio during pregnancy, and never do it without the explicit permission from your doctor.
Skin tags and warts are different in a few ways:
Skin tags can develop at any stage during your pregnancy, but they are completely natural and only cause cosmetic irritation. Attempting to remove them during pregnancy might be dangerous and is usually fruitless as they tend to come back anyway. The best course of action is to wait for your child to be born before trying to rectify them.