Skin tags on anus or buttocks are growths that usually hang off the skin around and outside of the anus or buttocks. Although they are harmless, they can be bothersome especially if they are large, raised and itchy. This page provides a comprehensive outlook of this condition with pictures, causes and how you can remove, get rid and treat skin tags on anus.
What are anal skin tags?
Anal skin tags or rectal skin tags may also be called hypertrophied papillae or fibro epithelial polyps. These are extra flesh that tends to hang off the skin around the anal skin. They appear as soft, flexible and irregular shape usually attached to the skin by skin tissue narrow in size.
Skin tags on anus or buttocks are generally harmless and not contagious. But if there’s an inflammation, an injury, or skin lesion around the skin tags it can be bothersome. Skin tags around the anus are not a risk to health but it can be difficult in maintaining anal hygiene. Contact through rubbing can cause irritation or itchy feeling.
Anal skin tags are not cancerous but you should check with your doctor to make sure they are harmless and therefore not cancerous. Anal skin tags may be confused for genital warts of hemorrhoids.
Skin tags on buttocks can be removed at home. It is possible to get rid of skin tags on anus by tying a piece of cotton around the base of skin tag. This helps to cut blood supply to the skin tag causing them to drop off.
Medical ways to remove skin tags around the anus include:
- Burning off
- Freezing
- Tying off or Ligation
- Cutting off the skin tags
We shall discuss the details on how to get rid and treat skin tags on anus later on in this post.
Possible Causes:
What causes skin tags on anus or buttocks? These tiny flaps of skin that pop up around in your anal area could be anything. Although the cause is not yet known, dermatologists provide some reasons why skin tags on anus appear. Here are some reasons:
- Obese: people who are obese are likely to develop skin tags than normal size people. This is due to creases in the skin. Considering they have a larger posterior, irritation or sitting down for too long usually in awkward position can contribute to outgrowth of flap of skin around the anus.
- Genetic Factors: another possible cause of skin tags on anus or buttocks could be due to genetic reasons. This could be as result of family history suffering from the same and passing it other family members. Skin tags on anal area could be due to hereditary factors.
- Friction or Rubbing: continuous rubbing of skin around the anus resulting from friction could be the cause of skin tags around these regions. Skin tags tend to develop areas where there are skin folds such as the anus, groin, neck and armpits.
- Diabetes: if you are diabetic especially type 2, the risk of developing skin tags is high. Treating diabetes is the first remedy of getting rid of skin tags.
- Age: age is also another factor that can results in one developing skin tags in anal areas.
- Anal Surgery: skin tags on buttocks will likely develop if you have undergone an anal surgery. You may notice skin tags during the recovery stage just after surgery.
- Hormonal imbalance: skin tags on anus can be as a result of hormonal fluctuations. This is common in women during pregnancy. It is common to see skin tags around the genitals, buttocks and other areas.
There are other unknown reasons for one to develop skin tags. According to dermatologists, the cause of skin tags is not yet known. The reasons given above are nothing but just suggestions. The causes discussed above have only been linked to skin tags but they are actually not the main reasons.
Skin tags on buttock picture
How do skin tags on buttocks look like? Pictures on skin tags on rectum are useful. They are meant to give you a clear distinction on skin tags and other skin conditions that appear similar to skin tags. In this post, we have provided descriptive pictures that can help you identify them.
Large raised skin tags
Generally, skin tags on buttock or anus can vary in size. Skin tags will appear as fleshy, floppy and flexible. The skin tags can be attached on the opening of the anus or around the buttocks where there’s skinfolds.
The skin tags on buttocks can be raised above the surface of the skin, appearing large in size though flexible. You may confuse the raised skin tags to genital warts. The two conditions are totally different. Here’s how to different the two:
- While warts appear to be rough with an irregular surface, skin tags on anus are smooth, small and soft.
- Warts are highly contagious; skin tags on the other hand are not infectious.
- Skin tags are usually raised, hand off the skin. Warts are flat in shape and slightly raised.
Itchy skin tags
Can stags around the buttocks get itchy? Skin tags normally appear where the skin creases or areas of the skin folds such as the anus, groins, armpit and neck. These areas are generally moist. The skin on these regions gets easily irritated or inflamed. This is due to friction or rubbing of skin. If this happens, you may feel as if the skin tags are itchy especially during and after bowel movement.
Are skin tags on buttocks cancer?
Skin tags can appear anywhere on your body. Usually the areas of the skin with folds such as neck, armpit, buttocks and groins are likely affected.
As stated earlier, skin tags are generally harmless and benign. These outgrowths of skin are not noncancerous. Skin tags are harmless and do not pose any health risk. There’s no cause for concern.
Skin tags on buttocks during pregnancy
As mentioned earlier in the post, one of the reasons for developing skin tags on buttocks is hormonal changes. This is common for pregnant women. Skin tags during pregnancy become visible towards the end of the second and beginning of the third trimester.
Although skin tags are generally harmless you may find them boring. There are ways in which you can get rid skin tags. We shall look into that in details in the post.
Treatment
Skin tags are harmless. They don’t post any health risk. You may or may not want to treat skin tags. There are reasons one would want to treat skin tags. Some of the reasons include: cosmetic, medical and annoyance reasons.
Here are medical ways to treat skin tags on anus. They include:
Freezing or Cryotherapy
Also known as cryotherapy in medical terms, this method involves putting the skin tags under extreme cold conditions to destroy them. Usually liquid nitrogen is used in the freezing process. Your dermatologist will apply the liquid nitrogen on the skin tags for about 30 seconds.
The essence is to damage the blood capillaries usually at the base of the skin tags. Freezing or cryotherapy doesn’t cause any harm or side effects
Burning
In medicine, burning the skin tags on anus is another recommended way to treat the skin tags. Usually heat is used to destroy the skin tags. With time the skin tags will fall off. Medically referred to as cauterization, burning off the skin tags is categorized into two: electrical and chemical burning.
Just like the case of freezing, burning is aimed at destroying the tissues and blood vessels leading to the skin tags. The skin tags will reduce in size, shrink and eventually fall off. This method will take about two weeks for complete healing.
Tying off the skin tags
Also known as ligation, tying off is another effective and common method of removing rectal skin tags. In this method, a string is used to tie off the base of the skin tags. The point here is to cut blood supply to the skin tags. As a result of insufficient blood supply and oxygen, the skin tags will shrink and fall after some time.
Surgery
This is another common method to treat skin tags around the anal area. It should be done by a professional medical doctor.
How to get rid of skin tags
There are numerous ways to get rid of rectal skin tags. Although they are harmless, you may opt for medical treatment or home remedies to get rid of skin tags
Medical methods to get rid of anal skin tags include: surgery, freezing, burning off, and tying off the skin tags. Your dermatologist will examine the skin tags and determine the method to use. This will depend on the location of the skin tags.
Home remedies can also be effective in getting rid of rectal skin tags. One of them includes castor oil method. In this method, you slowly and continuously apply the oil on the skin tags for a couple of days. Repeat this procedure twice a day for effective results until the skin tags dry off and eventually fall off.
Home remedies for skin tags on buttocks
Home remedies can also be effective in getting rid of skin on anus. The most common home remedies to remove skin tags include:
- Castor oil
- Ginger
- Apple cider vinegar
- Aloe Vera juice
- Duct tape
How to use Castor Oil to get rid of skin tags
Castor oil works by drying out the skin. The trick is to apply consistently on the skin tags. The oil will make the tissue to dry out and become brittle. With time the skin tags will fall off.
Here’s is how to use home remedy to remove skin tags on anus using castor oil.
What to do at home
- Make a paste of castor and baking soda
- Apply the paste on the skin tags
- Leave it to sit for about 10 minutes then rinse it off
- Do this at least twice per day
Sources and references
- https://www.webmd.boots.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/anal-skin-tags
- https://www.skintagsgone.com/skin-tags-on-the-buttocks-or-anus-causes-treatments/
- https://www.skintagsgone.com/castor-oil-for-skin-tag-removal/
- http://www.treatheal.com/skin-tags-on-anus-near-around-pictures-causes-get-rid-treatment-home-remedies/
- https://www.medicinenet.com/skin_tag/article.htm
- http://www.safebee.com/health/what-causes-skin-tags-how-to-remove
