Eyelid Skin Tags
Skin tags, are small growths that often appear on the eyelids. They are benign pedicles of skin that overgrow and can become irritated.
Skin tags are more common in:
- people who are overweight and obese
- those with diabetes
- women during pregnancy, possibly due to hormonal changes and high levels of growth factors
- those with some types of human papilloma virus (HPV)
- people with a sex-steroid imbalance, especially if there are changes in levels of estrogen and progesterone
- those whose close family members also have skin tags
Like tags elsewhere, the small fleshy stalks show up on eyelids because of the skin-on-skin movement of blinking. While eyelid skin tags are not dangerous, they are certainly very noticeable.
When patients come to me with eyelid skin tags, I usually remove them the same day right in the office. I apply a small amount of numbing medication and then simply snip off the tag from the base. Usually there is a small scab that heals in a few days.
All skin tags are sent to a pathologist who examines the tissue under a microscope to ensure that there is nothing more serious growing. Sometimes early skin cancers can look like skin tags, so all new growths on your eyelids should be evaluated.
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