How to Remove Skin Tags from the Eyelid
Although relatively harmless, skin tags can appear at any time and can be an ugly and bothersome addition to your skin 1. Skin tags are extra flaps of skin that are no larger than 1/2 inch 1. They can pop up at anytime, and anywhere, but luckily can be removed quite easily without a trip to the doctor. Keep in mind, however, that removing a skin tag from the eyelid is something you may want to be cautious about since you are close to the eye.
Easy to Do
Tie a piece of dental floss around the skin tag. Make sure the floss is tight around the base of the tag. Leave the floss tied around the tag for several minutes to ensure that the tag loses the blood circulation flowing to it.
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Pull the tag away from the skin with the thread. Using a pair of nail clippers (you can use a pair of scissors instead) cut the base of the tag. Make sure you sterilize the clippers before use (do this by placing them in a pot of boiling hot water for several minutes).
If you do not feel comfortable cutting the tag yourself, have a non-squeamish friend do it.
Dab a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the area with a cotton ball. Be careful not to get the peroxide in your eye.
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Use a mixture of castor oil and baking soda to create a homemade paste. You can purchase castor oil at most grocery or drug stores. Carefully applying this paste to your skin tag will help it fall off in two weeks if applied three to four times a day. Refrigerating the mixture keeps it good for at least 48 hours, allowing you to reapply as much as needed in that time span.
Dip a paper towel in some apple cider vinegar and dab it onto the skin tag. This will cause the skin tag to become discolored and fall off within a few days.
Tips
Make sure the object on your eye is in fact a skin tag.
Doctors can remove skin tags with burning and freezing methods but these are not always covered by health insurance.
Warnings
Be careful when working with sharp objects, especially around the eyelid.
Applying castor oil or apple cider vinegar around the eye can be harmful. Use caution and avoid getting too close to the eye itself.
- Tie a piece of dental floss around the skin tag.
- Make sure the floss is tight around the base of the tag.
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References
- Hair-n-Skin-Care: Skin tags
- Forces of Nature: Sharp objects to remove skin tags
- Tseng HW, Ger LP, Liang CK, Liou HH, Lam HC. High prevalence of cutaneous manifestations in the elderly with diabetes mellitus: an institution-based cross-sectional study in Taiwan. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015;29(8):1631–1635. doi:10.1111/jdv.12664
- Tseng HW, Ger LP, Liang CK, Liou HH, Lam HC. High prevalence of cutaneous manifestations in the elderly with diabetes mellitus: an institution-based cross-sectional study in Taiwan. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015;29(8):1631–1635. doi:10.1111/jdv.12664
- Usatine RP, Smith MA, Chumley HS, Mayeaux EJ, Jr. Chapter 157. Skin Tag. In: Usatine RP, Smith MA, Chumley HS, Mayeaux EJ, Jr.. eds. The Color Atlas of Family Medicine, 2e. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2013.
Tips
- Make sure the object on your eye is in fact a skin tag.
- Doctors can remove skin tags with burning and freezing methods but these are not always covered by health insurance.
Warnings
- Be careful when working with sharp objects, especially around the eyelid.
- Applying castor oil or apple cider vinegar around the eye can be harmful. Use caution and avoid getting too close to the eye itself.
Writer Bio
After writing for high school and college newspapers, Melissa Reece went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin River Falls with a degree in broadcast journalism. Currently, she is a freelance writer for The Leader Telegram's "Home Front" news magazine and an entertainment writer for Suite101.com