Experts also believe that obesity might be another cause of skin tags. Skin tags are little pieces of thick skin which are attached to the skin but not in a way that if taken off would leave a scar or a hole from where it was removed. The Skin tags are bunches of collagen and blood vessels which are trapped inside a thicker piece of skin.

Skin tags can stick off the skin from a peduncle and almost look like they are hanging. Skin tags are varied in color depending on the color of the flesh they grow on and vary in size and number as well.

The Different Causes of Skin Tags

No one is absolutely certain exactly what causes a skin tag to occur as they can appear all over the body and usually come about toward middle age. Since the groin and under the arms are the more common places of many that skin tags are seen it is thought that the rubbing together of the arms and genital area can cause chaffing which can dry and irritate the skin. Chaffing occurs when two parts of the body close together cause enough friction between them, that the skin becomes red and irritated. This can cause the skin to dry out and can peel.

It is almost the same effect as a child giving an Indian burn would have on the body.The underarms are very prone to chaffing and this could be a factor not necessarily the cause for skin tags to grow.

Although the virus which causes warts the human papillomavirus does not cause skin tags it can be a contributing factor. This may explain why warts can look so similar to skin tags.

Those bodybuilders who use illegal steroids can actually cause themselves to get skin tags through the pills or drugs they are ingesting. As many steroids people take can mess with the body and muscles this could also mess up the skin and cause the collagen fibers to bond in such a way that skin tags are formed.

Pregnancy always causes the hormones in a woman's body to go all over the place. There are certain things during pregnancy which can affect the body's growth and having one or two skin tags appear may be the result of hormones.

Insulin rejection, which may be caused by diabetes or some other factor in the body, can affect the growth of skin tags. Insulin resistance is known as 'syndrome X' there a number of things in the body that can cause strange things to appear. Skin tags are very common in women maybe due to the fact a lot of women get pregnant and the body does not react right on everything.

Skin Tags or Skin Cancer – can they be confused?

Cases of skin cancer are increasing at an alarming rate around the world. Chronic exposure to sunlight by exposed parts of the body (especially in the case of light colored skin) is the main cause and the most common form of skin cancer is called basal cell carcinoma.

One out of every three new cancers is a skin cancer, and the vast majority is basal cell carcinomas. Usually the appearance of this type of skin cancer looks like a pearly nodule surrounded by small blood vessels but their appearance can vary widely. Most basal cell skin cancers occur on areas of the body that are exposed to the sun.

Skin tags and skin cancer can be very similar. Skin tags may also occasionally resemble squamous cell carcinoma (which is another kind of skin cancer). For every four cases of basal cell carcinomas, there is one case of squamous cell carcinoma.  This form of skin cancer starts in the squamous cells found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin.

Again light colored skin exposed to the sun is most at risk and the cancer starts as firm, skin colored nodules. Another skin cancer is actinic keratosis (which is a precancerous lesion).  Here scaly or crusty bumps form on the skin’s surface. They are horn-like and dry and rough. They can be skin colored or lighter or darker and even red.

Therefore if you are at all concerned about the appearance of your skin, you should seek medical advice for your own peace of mind.  If you get the good news that you have skin tags and not skin cancer, then it is easy to commence the type of treatment to suit you such as a healing natural formula.

Conclusion of Skin Tags

There really is no known medical reason anywhere for what causes someone to get skin tags. They are a very random occurrence and can affect anyone at anytime; even those who do not take steroids are healthy and have never had kids. Those who get skin tags just remember they can’t harm anything they can be an annoyance vanity wise but otherwise they are just little bits of skin which grew where they shouldn't have.

Resources
* http://dermnetnz.org

Skin tags can appear in males and females of all ages, but it is true that mostly they are seen in the aged. Though no one is yet quite sure as to the exact reasons why skin tags appear, but it is nevertheless believed that age has something to do with it.