Skin tags are soft, skin-coloured growths that hang off the skin on a narrow stalk — usually on the neck, armpits, eyelids or groin. They are harmless and are not cancer. The reason to look twice is that a few skin cancers can be mistaken for a tag, so an unfamiliar or changing growth is worth a doctor’s eye.
Skin tagA soft, skin-coloured growth on a stalkCan a skin tag be cancerous?
A genuine skin tag is not cancerous and does not turn into cancer. But “it looked like a skin tag” is a common way an early skin cancer gets ignored — some basal cell carcinomas, melanomas and other lesions can resemble a tag. So the goal is to be sure a growth really is a tag in the first place.
What does a harmless skin tag look like?
A genuine tag is soft, skin-coloured, hangs off a thin stalk, and hasn’t changed:
- Soft and floppy, on a narrow stalk.
- Skin-coloured or slightly darker — not black or pearly.
- In skin folds — neck, armpits, eyelids, groin, under the breasts.
- Stable — not growing, bleeding or ulcerating.
What does a cancerous “skin tag” look like?
Be cautious with a growth that is firm rather than soft, pearly or shiny, darkly pigmented, growing, bleeding or crusting, or won’t heal. A flat base rather than a stalk, tiny visible blood vessels, or a colour that isn’t your skin tone all warrant an in-person look — these can point to a basal cell carcinoma or melanoma rather than a tag.
Skin tag vs skin cancer: how to tell
| Feature | Harmless | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Soft, floppy | Firm or hard |
| Attachment | Narrow stalk | Flat, broad base |
| Colour | Skin-coloured | Pearly, dark or multi-coloured |
| Behaviour | Stable | Growing, bleeding, won’t heal |
When to get a skin tag checked
See a doctor if a “tag” is new and unfamiliar, growing, changing colour, bleeding, firm, or on the eyelid.
Can I remove a skin tag myself?
It’s best not to. Removing a growth at home means it is never examined — and if it was actually a skin cancer, that is a missed diagnosis. Have it confirmed as a tag first; genuine tags are then simple to remove.
Other harmless bumps are easy to mix up too — for white bumps rather than a stalked tag, see milia or skin cancer.
Not sure? Get it reviewed
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Not a diagnosis; a doctor’s opinion on a photo cannot rule skin cancer in or out.