An anal skin tag, similar to a skin tag found in any other part of the body, appears as a tiny flesh colored flap of skin. It usually has a smooth appearance, but it can also have a rucked look.
Anal skin tags are normally tiny but often grow and can appear either externally or internally. If they aren’t getting in your way or causing any itch, you shouldn’t remove them. Nonetheless, many people opt to remove them because as they develop, removing them becomes more difficult.
They can also become itchy when you rub your skin or rub toilet paper against them.
What Causes Anal Skin Tags?
There are many causes of anal skin tags including:
Hemorrhoids – This is the major cause of anal skin tags. When they swell and then reduce, the skin where the swelling strained the skin leads to a hemorrhoid skin tag or anal skin tag.
Crohn’s disease – People with this condition are generally prone to anal swelling and hemorrhoids. The heightened swelling in the bottom means that people with Crohn’s disease are highly likely to suffer from anal skin tags.
Anal fissure – They occur due to a tear in your anal canal. A skin tag will sometimes develop on anal fissures and can result in an itchy butt.
Pregnancy – Many ladies suffer from skin tags when they are pregnant. Pregnancy skin tags can appear anywhere on a pregnant woman because of the hormone imbalanced resulting from the pregnancy. However, anal skin tags are often common because many ladies experience hemorrhoids during pregnancy.
What Are the Symptoms of Anal Skin Tags?
Anal skin tags generally do not cause any symptom other than their look. They often itch though. This is because they are located in an area that is constantly being rubbed and hence susceptible to irritation and itching.
The bigger the anal skin tag, the more symptoms it will produce, including more intense itching, feeling of heaviness, swelling, and rash.
How to Remove Anal Skin Tags
You don’t need to remove an anal skin tag, as it is a harmless growth, however, if it bleeds, hurts, or itches, you should see your doctor. If you are embarrassed to go to doctor, you can try some Pruritus Ani treatments such as Pranicura.
Also, you shouldn’t attempt to remove an anal skin tag yourself at home.
- Correctly Diagnosing
An anal skin tag can easily be misdiagnosed with hemorrhoid and vice versa. Also, anal fissures are easily confused for a skin tag. Rectal and colon surgeons are the most qualified and experienced people who can correctly diagnose anal skin tags.
- Removing Anal Skin Tags
Anal skin tags are usually removed in a doctor’s office. Each circumstance and doctor may differ. One doctor might require you to fast before you go for an anal skin tag removal.
If you are suffering from a single anal skin tag, your doctor can easily remove it using a local anesthetic. However, for multiple anal skin tags, your doctor will need to do a surgery under general anesthesia.
Your doctor will simply chop off external anal skin tags. If need be, dissolvable stitches might be used to dress the removed area.
You might have heard about ligation for an anal skin tag. This is for an internal skin tag and your doctor cannot ligate an external skin tag due to the sensitivity of anus skin.
Note that if your skin tag was caused by anal fissures and it is removed without removing the fissures, a new tag will form in the future.
Conclusion
It would make more sense to prevent the development of anal skin tags than treating them. So, ensure that you eat high fiber diet and drink plenty of water to reduce the chances of catching hemorrhoids.