An acrochordon is a small skin growth that forms and hangs from the surface of the skin. This common skin growth is usually benign, harmless and painless, although irritation can occur when it is rubbed against clothes. Since there is usually no harm associated with an acrochordon, treatment is generally not necessary. Characteristic places an acrochordon might appear are on a person’s armpit, body folds and neck. An acrochordon is also known as a skin tag or a fibroepithelial polyp.
It is unknown what specifically causes acrochordons to form, although, friction does seem to play a role, such as when skin rubs against skin. This would explain why one of the most common places acrochordons appear is the body folds. Some risk factors for forming acrochordons include pregnancy, obesity and diabetes. Males and females alike acquire acrochordons, and the skin growths can appear on anybody of any age as well. The number of acrochordons a person acquires varies and increases with age.
Physically, acrochordons are usually small in size, but can be as large as 2 inches (about 5 centimeters) in diameter. Some acrochordons are attached to the skin by a short, narrow stalk. In addition, acrochordons might be either flesh-colored or darker in appearance. Although acrochordons might resemble other medical conditions, they can usually be diagnosed through sight. Further analysis of acrochordons usually takes place if they look strange, in which case the affected person might need to undergo a biopsy.
Sometimes, small acrochordons will fall off on their own, but for the most part, once the skin growths form, they typically do not go away without treatment. Those who wish to have treatment usually do so because of irritation or for cosmetic purposes. Typically, treatment is done by a dermatologist and involves removal of the skin growth. Different methods of treatment include cryotherapy and electrosurgery, as well as ligation and surgical excision.
The purpose of treatment is to be able to make it so the skin growths will fall off or can be cut off. As such, cryotherapy freezes the acrochordon, while electrosurgery applies an electric current to it, and ligation ties off the skin growth, while surgical excision involves using scissors. After treatment, acrochordons do not grow back, but this does not mean new ones will not appear on other areas of the body. Although it is helpful to understand risk factors, there are really no measures to prevent acrochordons from forming.
