Can You Get Skin Tags on Your Vagina?

Short and sweet answer to this one — yep, you can!

It can feel unsettling to stumble across a skin tag on any part of your body, but especially when it’s in a sensitive area.

So, why do they appear on your vagina? 🙄

And what can you do to get rid of them ASAP?

Don’t worry — we’re here with you through it all, arming you with everything you need to know about vaginal skin tags. 👇

In this article: 📝

What are skin tags on your vagina?

So, let’s backpedal for a second.

A skin tag is a tiny, soft, skin-colored growth that appears on a part of your skin.

They often look like they’re hanging off the skin, and are usually painless and harmless.

So, what are they doing on your vagina?! 🤯

Well, first off, they’ll probably be on your labia, more specifically, which is a part of your vagina.

The labia is another word for the vaginal lips. 👄

It’s made up of two sets of lips — the labia minora and labia majora (in other words, the inner and the outer lips).

Skin tags often grow where the skin rubs together, or where there are folds of skin.

So, in that sense, finding a skin tag in the vagina lips kinda makes sense. 🤷‍♀️

What do vaginal skin tags look like?

Similar to skin tags in other parts of the body, genital skin tags are typically skin-colored, or slightly darker than your surrounding skin.

They can be recognized by their appearance of hanging off your skin.

In terms of size, they can range from around 2mm to 5cm.

They look different from warts or moles, but have some resemblances to them (such as darker skin), so people can often mistake the two.

Skin tags vs genital warts — what’s the difference?

While skin tags are most likely found in folds of skin, warts are more often found on the hands and feet. ✋

Warts are also raised off the skin, but have a rough surface rather than a soft texture to them, like skin tags would have.

Genital skin tags, unlike genital warts, aren’t contagious, and they’re not an STD.

If you’re not sure which you have — a skin tag or a genital wart — your healthcare provider will be able to help, and recommend treatment if needed.

How common are vaginal skin tags?

Skin tags in general are pretty common. 🤷‍♀️

About 50 to 60% of all adults will have a skin tag at some point in their life.

Vaginal skin tags, on the other hand, are rarer than skin tags that appear in other places, but they’re still usually nothing to worry about.

By the time you reach the age of around 70, it’s unlikely that any new skin tags will form.

What causes vaginal skin tags?

Again, similar to skin tags in other places, they can just kind of… appear.

Without any real warning or for no real reason.

But there are types of people who are more prone to skin tags appearing for one reason or another:

• 🍬 Diabetes: If you have insulin resistance, or Type 2 diabetes, it’s thought that you’re more likely to develop skin tags on your body.
  
• 🦠 HPV: Some studies suggest that low-risk HPV (Human papillomavirus) could be a cause of skin tags forming, but more research is needed to confirm the validity of this.
  
• ⚖️ Overweight: If you have a high BMI or you’re overweight, you could be more likely to develop skin tags. They tend to form in folds of skin, so if have skin folds that rub together, this creates the perfect environment for a skin tag.
  
• 🧬 In the genes: Skin tags can also run in the family! So, if your mama or pa had skin tags, you may also start to see a few cropping up yourself as time goes by.
  
• 🤰 Pregnancy: Another weird symptom of pregnancy! (As if we didn’t have enough to deal with, right?! 🙃). Skin tags are common in the second trimester especially, as hormone changes can often spur on the growth of new skin cells to appear. You will also likely gain weight during pregnancy, which could increase the skin-to-skin contact points around your body through more folds, which is a skin tag’s haven.

How to get rid of vaginal skin tags

First things first, do not try and remove a skin tag yourself.

If you do, you could risk infection, bleeding and scarring.

And, in most cases, skin tags don’t need to be removed, as they’re harmless. 🤷‍♀️

Sometimes, they can even just fall off, or disappear.

If they’re causing discomfort, or embarrassment due to them being in such a sensitive area, they can be removed by a medical professional.

This professional would choose to remove the skin tag by using heat, freezing it, or cutting it off with a surgical blade or scissors.

But, again, as these are harmless, you’d have to pay for the surgery (which is classed as cosmetic surgery).

Can toothpaste remove skin tags? 🪥

You may have heard a rumor that toothpaste could help to get rid of skin tags.

But, alas, sadly, that’s all it is… a rumor.

There’s no evidence to suggest using toothpaste can help a skin tag to disappear. 🦷

If you want to remove your skin tag, get in touch with your doctor before you whack a blob of toothpaste on it.

Other home remedies for getting rid of skin tags

While cutting off your skin tag at home is never recommended, there are some at home treatments that might encourage your skin tag to fall off more quickly.

This is done by drying out the skin tag until it shrinks in size, and then falls off.

Some of these remedies are:

• Tea tree oil
  
• Banana peel
  
• Vitamin E
  
• Garlic
  
• Apple cider vinegar

But, it should be noted that skin tags don’t require treatment as they’re harmless, and often disappear on their own anyway.

What is a hymenal skin tag?

A hymenal tag is different from a skin tag.

Your hymen is a thin, fleshy piece of tissue at the opening of your vagina.

So, a hymenal tag is a bit of extra tissue that protrudes from the edge of your hymen.

They can be present from birth, or they can appear later in life from either your hymen stretching — most likely the first time you have sex or insert a tampon, or after vaginal childbirth.

They’re usually less than 5mm wide, and generally don’t cause any health problems.

In some cases, your doctor may recommend the hymenal tag is removed, as it can cause some discomfort.

And, remember, if you’re unsure of anything, or have any unusual symptoms such as bleeding, irritation, pain, or itching, get in touch with your doctor right away.

For now, our Peanut Community is here to help with any women’s health woes you may have.

Join in the conversation today. 🥜