Should You be Worried About Vaginal Skin Tags or Not?
Well here is something you probably would rather not discuss at your next social gathering - vaginal skin tags.
What are they? Very simply, they are just a growth of benign excess skin. They are noncancerous and not dangerous. They don’t even have to be removed but the problem is they are bothersome and not too appealing to look at, so women usually opt to have them removed. This removal process is easy and can be done by your gynecologist at a simple afternoon office visit.
If you don’t decide to have them removed, it is wise to keep an eye on them to be sure they don’t change in size. They may actually get a little bigger over time but if they get significantly larger you may want to see your doctor. So observation over time is a good practice.
Some women have noticed that right before and during their periods their vaginal skin tags tend to swell up and seem almost to the point that they appear to be ready to burst (they won’t, don’t worry). This could be due to hormonal changes and they usually shrink right back down after your period.
These tags as a rule are not painful but occasionally they may snag on something (like your clothes) or they may rub against adjacent skin and become twisted which actually can be quite painful and tender. If this is happening on a regular basis you may want to get it taken off. If you decide to go this route it is likely that your insurance company will not foot the bill since this is considered a cosmetic surgery and not a necessary procedure.
Often you can just cut the offending skin tag off yourself but those in the vaginal area may be much more painful than other areas of the body.
