What Causes Skin Tags On Your Lips?

According to Mayo Clinic, skin tags or acrochordons are non-cancerous, painless, and harmless projections that appear on the skin. They can take the color of your skin, making it hard to identify. What's more, they're a very common condition, affecting about 46% of people in the United States (via Healthline). The causes of skin tags vary. However, most people with skin tags tend to be experiencing hormonal changes or metabolic disorders. Therefore, pregnant women and adults 60 years and older are usually at higher risk of getting skin tags, per Healthline.

Even though they're harmless and painless, skin tags can affect a person's self-esteem because of how obvious they look. They can also show in various open spots on the body. WebMD states that they're commonly found on the neck, neck, chest, back, under the breasts, or in the groin area. Skin tags are predominant in these areas because they thrive when extra cells grow on the skin or where the skin rubs against itself, according to the NHS. But can skin tags appear on the lips? It's possible. However, skin growth on the lips isn't always caused by skin tags. The growth on your lip might resemble a skin tag because of the way it looks, but it can be something different.  So it's crucial to know the real cause before jumping to conclusions. A visit to your doctor should give you a clearer idea. 

Listed below are a few other causes of skin growth on the lips.

Filiform warts sometimes resemble skin tags. According to Medical News Today, they're made up of long, thin projections of the skin, which usually disappear without treatment. They're caused by the human papillomavirus virus (HPV), which is infectious through skin contact, per Cleveland Clinic. WebMD states that your body grows resistant to these warts over time, but sometimes they can stick around for months or years, depending on the strength of your immune system.

The second type of skin growth is mollusca. It's a viral rash characterized by small, raised, red, and swollen growth of about 2 to 5 millimeters, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rash is caused by molluscum contagiosum, a viral infection of the poxvirus family. They result in lesions that can appear anywhere on the skin, from the lips to other private parts. These warts should normally disappear within two to three months if you have a resilient immune system.

Lastly, growths found inside your inner lips are likely to be mucous cysts. According to Medline Plus, these skin lesions often appear near the salivary gland opening, thus the lower lip, bottom surface of your tongue, or inside your cheeks.

Medical News Today notes that skin tags and lesions are harmless, but in rare cases where they itch, bleed, or swell up, you should see a doctor. Benign conditions can be corrected using over-the-counter products and home remedy treatment options like a removal cream, apple cider, vinegar, and tea tree oil, per Medical News today. Some of these at-home treatments are popular but don't have significant theoretical research to prove and may lead to side effects like scars and other infections (via Cleveland Clinic). Therefore, it's crucial to talk to a doctor before administering any of these home remedy options for your skin tags or lesions.

According to WebMD, some dermatologists opt to remove a skin tag by cutting it off with a scalpel or scissors. Some also use cauterization or electrosurgery, which burns skin tags using heat or electric current. Others choose to freeze off skin tags with liquid nitrogen through cryotherapy, per NHS.