I went to a new doctor yesterday. It has been way too long since my last check up, and I can’t sit around waiting for UCLA and Blue Shield to be grown ups and work something out. I know it’s better to find a new doctor when you’re healthy than to scramble to find one when you’re sick. I am trying to not be a baby about this. I have insurance. I am thankful. But even thought this doctor was perfectly nice, I still felt like I was cheating on Dr. Looove. Waaaah I love her! OK, I’m done being a baby about it now.
After I gave this new doc my medical history (which was super fun, waaaah Dr. Looove I miss you!), we started the check up. She started talking to me while she listened to my breathing. I didn’t know if I should answer her question while she had a stethoscope against my chest – I didn’t want to blow out her ear drums. So, I said nothing, and then she repeated her question, louder. I’m pretty sure my new doctor thinks I’m hearing impaired.
While she gave me a breast exam, I asked her to look at the skin tag that’s located in a somewhat unfortunate place. Let’s just say that if I ever breast feed again, it would be really painful. She poked at it a bit and then went back to the breast exam. She said I’d probably want to have it removed at some point, and that she could suggest a dermatologist for me. Sweet.
She moved down to give me a pap smear, and as she was preparing things or whatever she said, “You know, I sometimes freeze skin tags off when they appear down in lady areas. I could do that for you, if you want.”
It was a combination of nouns and verbs I’d never wanted to ever think about. Skin tags in lady areas? Freezing things off of lady areas? Doctors that say things like lady area?
Before I’d finished processing this, she pushed back from my lady area and said, “Or you could just tie a string around it. It will eventually fall off – and that’s free!”
I’m pretty sure my face looked like this:
I could only think about a story that Mike told me about his mom. She had a skin tag on her arm that she *gag* cut off with scissors, and it got infected and grew back all crazy and her dermatologist about fainted when he saw it. I can’t have that on my boob.
There are only two options I would ever consider – have a doctor do something, or DO NOTHING. I just cannot imagine tying a string around a skin thing on my boob. Plus, what do you do with the extra string, just tuck it into your bra? What if you’re wearing a v-neck shirt and an end of the string becomes loose and peeks through the V, and someone tugs on it thinking it’s a thread from your top. Gag gag gag.
Waaaaaah I miss Dr. Looove.
Ms. A says:
You could try Super Glue, or Liquid Bandage.
Jenn says:
You crack me up Heather!! My husband, Brian gets sink tags too. You know, now that I think about it, up here there is a home kit you can buy to take them off. Do you have anything like that? We haven’t tried it yet but I think we might.
I hope you get to go back to Dr. Looove soon!! She seems so lovely plus, it sounds like you girls have a strong bond. The most important thing is she loved Maddie and it sounds like she loves Annie too. You can’t ask for more then that!!
Good luck with your insurance (as much as I want to move to Southern California & believe me…I DO!!! The whole insurance thing freaks me out & is soooo overwhelming to me)! I hope this whole issue gets resolved and fast…..afterall your skin tag’s counting on it!!!
Heather says:
the home kits aren’t worth the cost. I tried for 3 tiny skins tags it made not one bit of difference
Jenn says:
OOOhhh, Thanks for letting us know Heather – my Husband & always wondered if it worked especially since they’re really expensive!!
Tina says:
After having the boys, I too had numerous skn tags appear (but none in any ehmmm, unfortunate areas)… I have a sharp pair of nail cutters, I dis-infect them and the area with Betadine and just snip them away. It doesn’t hurt (you feel a tiny pinch and that’s it). Then I apply Betadine on it and some Fucidin (antibiotic cream).
They NEVER grow back, and they have never gotten infected. I have cut off about 10 of them so far… I have also had some pulled off accidentally by a necklace.
No biggie. It REALLY isn’t a big deal no need to gag lol. There isn’t even any bleeding other than maybe a drop?
It will be alright… although because yours is in a delicate place, I do suggest a dermatologist
The string ALSO works!!! just make sure it is tight. It will take a couple days and then be gone
Hugs
Tina
Nila says:
But I’m confused- do you get the whole thing? Because skin tags are fused to the skin, so you’d get the tag-y part, but not the bottom part. Are you left with a sort of mole?
Amy says:
Heather I get skin tags and got the same advice from my doctor. It works and doesn’t hurt.
Sue says:
I just about died laughing, Heather! No; don’t think that I’ve ever heard a doctor use the term “lady area” either. Sounds like someplace that they might seat you in a segregated restaurant!!LOL
Molly says:
Tee hee. Oh no!
Shan says:
Oh wow! It must be sound medical advice though….and I bet it wasn’t free..lol!
Vicky says:
Doctors have gotten all cutesy apparently. I have/had? cancer in the um “lower lady area” and my oncologist (and his nurse) alway say “let’s have a look at your bottom”. Just to be clear, t’s not my butt they are always taking about either!!
I wonder, do they teach them this stuff in med school now?
Vicky says:
I need to learn to proofread. “It’s not my butt…….”
So glad I got to type that twice.
Andy says:
I’ve never tried to tie one off, but if you twist them a lot, they eventually come off . And it doesn’t hurt much more then pulling out an annoying hang nail. Of course I’ve never had one on my breast…. .just on my neck!
let us know how you make out with it.
Julie says:
When I was pregnant I had a skin tag and mentioned it to my doctor during a vist. While we were talking, he just reached over and pulled it off before I knew what was happening. I was shocked, but it really didn’t hurt and it never grew back. I have another now, but I’m chicken to pull it off myself.
Casey says:
omg! I feel for ya. I got one in my armpit (that’s a lovely visual) when I was pregnant. After the pregnancy, my regular doc just snipped it off in the office one day. It was a quick pinch, but it really didn’t hurt! I’m not sure exactly what she did, because I refused to look. LOL – but I was glad to see it gone!
defendUSA says:
I suffer from the skin tag issue…and I can tell you if I had one in the nether regions that I could see, I would take it off. I have done it myself, as I am medically inclined so I don’t get grossed out at all. On the boob thing…well, I might let the doc do that. Only because they are adored by my better half and I would want no unnecessary injuries getting in the way of that…
If you do decide to do it, you really can use sewing thread, some of the hemmorhoid ointment for numbing (because it can help control the bleeding of those little buggers when snipped). leave the knot loosely open , Get it as close to the skin as possible, put the ointment on, and the close the knot. It supposed to sever the tag and you won’t have any string to worry about…anywhere. Apply some pressure to the spot and voila. You should be good to go…
alex m says:
Dr Oz took off a person’s hemorrhoid by putting a TINY rubber band around it and said it would fall off and not hurt one bit and he said you can do a similar thing for skin tags with string.
Lamb says:
Eeeew! Dr. Oz also said that all the recipes in his 2 Day Cleanse would be delicious.
He lied.
Annalisa says:
That only works for fairly small hemorroids. Larger ones can easily get infected in the process, so it’s best to remove them surgically. I… uhm… have a friend who has that problem… That’s it. I didn’t ask my doctor about it or anything.
Adrianne says:
Everything about this post is hilarious! I can’t even pick a favorite part. Hope things get better with your new doctor:)
mel says:
o.m.g. a string? i’m dead.
Julie says:
As GROSS as it is, I had one under my boob and I tied it off with dental floss and sure enough, it did fall off after while. Yuck!! But I’m glad it’s off and it was free!!
SJ says:
You made me laugh out loud!!!
Catherine says:
The string thing totally works…and fairly quickly too.
Lisa says:
I am not sure which is more disturbing. You wrote all this for the world to read. Or that I read it all the way to the end ( Damm OCD).
giselle says:
OMG that was hilarious.
Also, I”m thinking you may have ANOTHER skin tag in your actual lady area… I went to a dermatologist and she just snipped snipped all the skin tags I had around my neck. It was awesome. I even had a huge gross one that did actually bleed and scab, but I am SO glad that monster is GONE.
Lamb says:
Unless that is one mega sized skin tag, who would even have the hand-eye coordination to tie such a knot? Not me!
I’m hoping your insurance sorts everything out soon
Carrie says:
I tie mine off with thread all the time. I actually keep thread in my bathroom for that purpose! I tie a knot around the base of the skin tag and tighten and double knot it. I cut the ends of the thread so they are very short. The next day I tie another tighter knot around the first knot. I do this every day until it’s gone. It usually takes about 3 days at most. The last one I did last week was gone the next day. When the skin tag falls off it takes the thread with it. It only hurts a tiny bit none of them have grown back.
It works!! And it’s free!!
Carrie
Terra says:
Hee hee…thanks for the chuckle this morning! I actually laughed out loud at work…whoops!
Amy Collen says:
LOL! Okay first I had to figure out which lady area she was talking about. Hmm…number one if you have a doctor calling your lady areas “lady areas” then it is surely the end of days. Why doesn’t she just call them “dirty pillows?” Second, I have never in my freakin’ life heard about tying a string to a skin tag. Get it frozen off. Ha ha! A string! That’s awesome. Boobie string!!!
GreenInOC says:
But she said “down in your lady bits” – DOWN.
Are you sure she was referring to your boobie tag when she said that (boobie tag sounds better to me!)?
See, if she did mean down, as in downtown nether regions of your lady bits, a boobie tag would be a welcome relief!
Nila says:
That’s what I was thinking. I was wondering if she had moved on to the “lady area,” noticed ADDITIONAL skin tags there, and made the comment about those.
Heather says:
HA I asked – there were no skin tags down there!
Becky Campbell says:
This whole post made me shudder!!! I’m with you…GAG!
Amy Marshall says:
I had an OB call my WHOLE “lady area” my “bottom.” It was so confusing – did she mean my bottom – bottom or my lady-area-bottom? there’s A LOT of stuff down there in Bottom-Land!
I laughed! THank you for the post.
Anna says:
Your post had me cracking up, but now I’m a little woozy after reading the comments. I had some skin tags removed by my doctor once, and I had to lie down for a while before I could leave the room. And before that, I got a skin tag on my neck caught in one of those mesh sponges and almost passed out! My husband gets skin tags and just rips them off with his bare hands. It makes me want to vomit.
Lisa says:
My doctor calls them by their given names….that’s just as creepy. Especially when you already know what’s going to happen, so it’s just commentary. I always feel like asking, “how about we talk about something else? I already know what you’re doing, no need to announce it as you go.” But string? Around those bits? Holy ouchie!!!!!
Meli says:
At the risk of being inconsiderate regarding your medical issues, I laughed so hard I about peed in my pants!
Jess says:
Or worse…what if someone thinks you have a CLEAVAGE TAMPON?!
Mortifying. Any string option is just plain mortifying.
memphislis says:
CLEAVAGE TAMPON! Best comment ever.
Jess says:
Molly says:
Come on, an M.D. can UTTER THE WORD VAGINA!!!!! or at least genitals! Do we need to sponsor a Vagina Monologues in every med school now? For *gynecologists*?!
Tammy M says:
Heather, you are so cute. The doctor tied off a couple of skin tags on my nephew when he was a baby. It works. I’ve done it to myself when I had one on the inside of my knee. Have Mike pull the string and watch your arms fly up like with those baby toys!
I also have had tiny skin tags on my neck that I have cut off. Gee, I sound awful purrrrty, don’t I?
T.
Christina says:
Heather, I get them from time to time around my neck and a doctor told me the same thing. And it works! I usually do it over a weekend because they eventually turn black and fall off. I know it sounds gross but it is painless. (couldn’t imagine cutting one off eeek!) As far as around your “lady area”….no experience in that one but I say…if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Kelly says:
I hate skin tags, they make me crazy. I have tied a string around one on my shoulder – I know why that works, it hurts cuz the string WILL get snagged. I have tried to cut them off but I dry heaved instead. Here is what works for me – tea tree oil. I’m sure you can get it at the body shop. Dap a little on morning and night and they kind of just shrink into nothing. The smell is a lil strong but it beats strings, scissors and doctors!! LOL! Good luck!
Auntie_M says:
OMG!!! I just about fell over laughing! Especially when I thought she meant that she saw another skin tag in your…um…va-jay-jay area and was offering to either freeze that one off . And could not figure out how YOU could tie a string around it! Ask Mike for help???
I was totally creeped out by that! And was happy that she “only” meant that you should tie a string around your breast area skin tag. But then you went on about someone pulling on the string and I nearly spit out my coffee laughing!
You def need Dr Love back!!!!
Auntie_M says:
Um…I swear I typically don’t have as many typos and grammatical errors in my writing as I do in my previous comment. It’s just that I was still laughing…..
Jessica Stringer says:
Well, I HATE to admitt this, but I have a skin tag in the, uh, “lady parts” area. Last time I went to my lady doctor, I asked her to take a look at it and remove it. After she did the exam, we got to talking and I ended up leaving without her even looking at it! I drive over 80 miles one way to go to my doc so I haven’t made it back yet. Plus, I’ll be pissed that I have to pay another $40 copay. I’m NOT tying a string around it, I’ll tell you that!!!
Kelly says:
Oh, my. Thanks for the laugh. I do hope you get your Dr. Love back soon.
Lindsey says:
Shoot, as I was reading your post about the skin tags, I was thinking “I need to tell Heather about the string remedy and/or the clipper (I use sterilized nail clippers) remedy”. So surprised that so many of your readers knew these tricks. I’ve used both and they both do the job. I had one right on the border of my nipple when I was pregnant (moles and skin tags go crazy with pregnancy hormones) and I was worried about breastfeeding with it so I just clipped that sucker off with nail clippers!! Just a little bleeding.
Also, I’m a physician and I wonder about a doctor who would use the term “lady area” and talk and ask you to talk when she is listening to your heart and lungs! But, glad she gave you the home remedy advice! If she doesn’t seem like the doctor for you, I hope you will take your “lady area” to another one or wait for the insurance to work itself out.
You are so funny – I think Annie has your sense of humor (love the smushed face picture).
Miriam says:
If you have another baby and a c-section, i bet your Dr (esp if you have Dr. Risky again) would be happy to remove any lady part skin tags.
Jenny says:
This is the first time I’ve ever told anyone this……
I had a skin tag in the same ‘lady area’ as you for as long as I could remember. It was fairly small and it never bothered me. My doctor told me I could have it removed. But I never got around to it.
A few years ago, I noticed that it might be getting bigger. In fact, it started getting sore if it was in certain positions. It kind of worried me, but I ignored it. After a few months of that, it did kind of die and it fell off. No more skin tag!
Stacie says:
Hahahahahaha…way too funny!! I’m sitting here reading this chuckling while my 2 little boys are beside me watching t.v. They keep asking what’s so funny. That’s hard when you finally find a Dr. You like and trust and then you have to find another Dr. Good luck…..with everything.
Sarah G says:
HA! I am seriously laughing out loud at the image of these things happening… eek! It totally freaks me out to think about the last scenario and someone pulling on the string… yikes!
Karen says:
Technically skin tags can grow back once removed. I worked for a few years for a dermatologist all of us nurses loved and we had lots of clients who would confess to tying off their skin tags. He would shake his head and chuckle but also say, “I wouldn’t do that myself but, hey, if it turned out well for you, go ahead!” They do have an excellent blood supply, the little f**kers!
Lanie says:
Just say NO to strings! Going to new doctors is hard especially when they suggest crazy things like removing your own skin tag. I hope you can go back to Dr. Looove. Take care.
Caroline says:
I had a skin tag down near my “lady area” that got bigger with my 2nd pregnancy. So much so that when my fat preggo legs rubbed together it would somehow get caught and pull, I guess against my undies? Anyhoo….OUCH OUCH OUCH! Every time it happened I get so pissed bc it hurt! My OB said oh I will get rid of that when you deliver and you’ve had your epidural. Surprisingly he remembered. Probly bc the ginormous thing was staring him right in the face! GAH and GAG! Just see a dermie doc if your boob one bothers you. It’s all good!
jess says:
I almost had one ripped off during my car accident in ’08. Damn thing reattached. My Gran and I called them do-hickey’s. I have a few. I’m not pulling them off or anything. Too scared, lol.
Peggy says:
Eww. This reminded me of my cousin, who tried the same thing — ON HER DOG! He was old and had a rather large growth on his underside. It was disgusting looking, but even worse because it was a yucky, fatty growth WITH A DIRTY STRING HANGING FROM IT. Eww. I don’t think it worked.
Kelly says:
Thanks Heather! Until I read this I was unaware of the impending middle-aged incontinence issue. A laughter alert should be posted in the title of the post somewhere. So funny and yet so alarming.
laura says:
I heard that Blue Cross & UCLA came to terms finally. This is definitely not something new, I remember this happening the last time they renegotiated the contract. Sucks, but can’t you pay out of pocket and wait to be reimbursed once they get it resolved if it’s not already? I don’t see any way they wouldn’t come to terms given how big a provider UCLA is in LA. Best of luck with everything!
Heather says:
I have Blue Shield, and unfortunately they haven’t come to terms yet. I call every day to check. I can’t really afford to pay out of pocket without knowing it would for sure be reimbursed – especially since even if they DO eventually come to an agreement, there’s no guarantee that it would be retroactive.
Violet says:
I had a skin tag in that same location. And I did exactly what this new doctor suggested. And it worked. I just pinched the blood out of the tag, tied some string on it, cut the extra string off and let it be. Within a week it died and fell off. Only, it was a FRIEND who suggested this to me, and I was a teenager that was too embarrassed to see a lady doctor. Lol.
jeannine says:
i must be living under a rock. I Have No Idea What A Skin Tag Is. And now i’m kind of scared to google it. Help?
mommiebear2 says:
So I have had an annoying skin tag for years on my chest and after reading your post and all of the comments, I decided last night to give the cutting with cuticle scissors a shot. I boiled the heck out of them and then wouldnt you know it, all I felt was a small quick pinch and just like that it was gone! Thanks for the advice!!!!
shahriyar says:
thank you for the post . When I was pregnant I had a skin tag too .
i was suffering hemorrohoid during pregnency too. it fun reading ..thank you for sharing that story.