{ "slug": "cream-skin-tag", "question": "Does a skin tag removal cream get rid of skin tags around the anus?", "shortTitle": "Skin Tag Cream for Anal Skin Tags", "clinicalQuestion": "In adults with perianal (anal) skin tags, does topical application of over-the-counter skin tag removal cream, compared with no treatment or surgical excision, lead to complete resolution of the tag without recurrence?", "pico": { "population": "Adults with one or more skin tags located on or around the anus", "intervention": "Topical over-the-counter skin tag removal creams (e.g., containing salicylic acid, thuja, or other keratolytic/caustic agents)", "comparator": "No treatment, placebo cream, or surgical/office-based removal (excision, ligation, cryotherapy)", "outcomes": [ "Complete disappearance of the skin tag", "Reduction in skin tag size", "Time to resolution", "Recurrence of the tag after apparent resolution", "Local skin irritation, burns, or other adverse skin reactions", "Need for subsequent surgical removal" ] }, "category": "anorectal", "relatedConditions": [ "anal-skin-tags", "hemorrhoids", "anal-fissure" ], "relatedTreatments": [], "relatedEvidence": [], "bottomLine": { "verdict": "No study has tested whether an over-the-counter skin tag removal cream gets rid of skin tags around the anus.", "detail": "The 4 studies found here looked at surgical techniques, hemorrhoid procedures, and a prescription ointment used for pain after anal surgery — none tested a topical skin tag removal cream bought over the counter. So there is no direct evidence showing this product works, and none showing it doesn't.", "studyIds": [ "pmid:40619740", "pmid:34080821", "pmid:23102076", "pmid:11432512" ] }, "strength": { "level": "very-low", "why": "The 4 human studies found measure a related question rather than this one, so they can only be read indirectly.", "override": null }, "direction": { "level": "not-studied", "why": "No study has measured this outcome in people with this condition.", "override": null }, "counts": { "recordsRetrieved": 108, "recordsScreened": 108, "included": 4, "rcts": 3, "systematicReviews": 0, "observational": 0, "participants": 647, "yearFrom": 2001, "yearTo": 2025, "registeredTrialsWithoutResults": 0 }, "excluded": [], "outcomes": [ { "name": "Complete disappearance of the skin tag", "status": "not-studied", "note": "No trial applied an over-the-counter skin tag removal cream to perianal skin tags and checked whether the tag went away.", "studyIds": [] }, { "name": "Reduction in skin tag size", "status": "not-studied", "note": "None of the studies measured skin tag size before and after using a removal cream.", "studyIds": [] }, { "name": "Time to resolution", "status": "not-studied", "note": "No study tracked how long a skin tag cream might take to work, because none tested the cream at all.", "studyIds": [] }, { "name": "Recurrence of the tag after apparent resolution", "status": "not-studied", "note": "One trial found surgical excision left fewer skin tags than a prescription ointment (glyceryl trinitrate) after treating a blood clot near the anus, but this did not test an over-the-counter removal cream or look at simple skin tags as the main condition.", "studyIds": [ "pmid:11432512" ] }, { "name": "Local skin irritation, burns, or other adverse skin reactions", "status": "not-studied", "note": "In one trial, some patients stopped using a prescription ointment because of side effects, but that ointment is not the same product as an over-the-counter skin tag cream, so this doesn't answer the safety question for the cream.", "studyIds": [ "pmid:23102076" ] }, { "name": "Need for subsequent surgical removal", "status": "not-studied", "note": "One trial found surgical excision removed more skin tags than a prescription ointment, but no study compared an over-the-counter cream against surgery.", "studyIds": [ "pmid:11432512" ] } ], "benefits": [], "limitations": [ { "text": "None of the 4 studies tested an over-the-counter skin tag removal cream. They tested surgical techniques, a hemorrhoid procedure, and a prescription ointment (glyceryl trinitrate) used for pain, not a consumer skin tag product.", "studyIds": [ "pmid:40619740", "pmid:34080821", "pmid:23102076", "pmid:11432512" ] }, { "text": "The people in these studies were having surgery for anal fissures, hemorrhoids, or a blood clot near the anus — not people who simply have an isolated perianal skin tag and want to treat it at home.", "studyIds": [ "pmid:40619740", "pmid:34080821", "pmid:23102076", "pmid:11432512" ] } ], "risks": [], "whyPeopleTryIt": [ { "text": "Skin tag creams are sold without a prescription and seem like an easy, private fix without needing to see a doctor." }, { "text": "The area feels embarrassing to show a clinician, so an at-home treatment feels more comfortable." }, { "text": "Similar creams are marketed for skin tags on the neck or underarm, so people assume the same product works the same way everywhere on the body." } ], "keyStudies": [ "pmid:11432512", "pmid:23102076", "pmid:34080821", "pmid:40619740" ], "studies": [ { "id": "pmid:40619740", "pmid": "40619740", "doi": "10.47717/turkjsurg.2025.2025-4-18", "nctId": null, "pmcid": "PMC12406635", "title": "Non-standardized surgery lateral internal sphincterotomy: Is there a consensus?", "firstAuthor": "Şengül", "multipleAuthors": true, "journal": "Turk J Surg", "year": 2025, "design": "case-series", "n": 207, "nField": "reported", "population": "surgeons who perform anal fissure surgery", "intervention": "a survey about surgical technique for cutting the anal sphincter muscle in fissure surgery", "comparator": "", "primaryOutcome": "whether surgeons agree on a standard surgical technique", "result": "surgeons showed no standard approach and varied widely in technique, including how they handled skin tags during surgery", "resultDirection": "unclear", "quality": "very-low", "qualityWhy": "this is a survey of surgeons' practice habits, not a study testing a skin tag removal cream, so it gives no evidence about the question.", "directness": "indirect", "limitations": "abstract does not test any cream or topical treatment; it surveys surgical technique preferences, and skin tags are only one minor item in a 24-question survey", "followUp": "", "plainFinding": "Not relevant to skin tag cream.", "retracted": false, "expressionOfConcern": false, "hasErratum": false, "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40619740/", "sourceText": "OBJECTIVE: Lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) is considered the gold standard surgical treatment for chronic anal fissures. However, substantial variation exists in the surgical techniques applied. This study aims to evaluate practice differences among surgeons performing LIS and to assess whether a consensus has been established. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An anonymous online survey was conducted to assess surgeons' technical approaches to LIS. Data were collected using a 24-question survey targeting surgeons from various countries. RESULTS: A total of 207 surgeons (131 from Türkiye, 76 from other countries) responded. The majority were male (73.3%) and between 40 and 64 years of age (64.7%). Most participants (70%) had more than 10 years of surgical experience, and 55% were affiliated with academic centers. The open technique was preferred by 73.6% of respondents, while 21.4% opted for the closed method. Partial sphincterotomy was favored by 66%, followed by complete (21%) and tailored (12%) approaches. Substantial heterogeneity was noted in bowel preparation, patient positioning, incision type, and management of skin tags or hypertrophied papillae. Only 6% reported routine use of anorectal manometry. Variations were more prominent across countries than between demographic groups. The principal finding of the study is the lack of a standardized approach to LIS across international surgical communities. CONCLUSION: There is no standardized approach to LIS among surgeons. Surgical technique preferences vary significantly and appear to be influenced more by geographic practice location than by individual surgeon characteristics such as age, gender, or experience.", "provenance": [ { "field": "n", "quote": "A total of 207 surgeons (131 from Türkiye, 76 from other countries) responded." }, { "field": "population", "quote": "This study aims to evaluate practice differences among surgeons performing LIS and to assess whether a consensus has been established." }, { "field": "intervention", "quote": "An anonymous online survey was conducted to assess surgeons' technical approaches to LIS." }, { "field": "primaryOutcome", "quote": "This study aims to evaluate practice differences among surgeons performing LIS and to assess whether a consensus has been established." }, { "field": "result", "quote": "Substantial heterogeneity was noted in bowel preparation, patient positioning, incision type, and management of skin tags or hypertrophied papillae." }, { "field": "result", "quote": "There is no standardized approach to LIS among surgeons." } ] }, { "id": "pmid:34080821", "pmid": "34080821", "doi": "10.23736/S2724-5691.20.08429-1", "nctId": null, "pmcid": null, "title": "Doppler-guided hemorrhoidal artery ligation with suture mucopexy compared with LigaSure™-assisted pile excision for the treatment of grade III hemorrhoids: a prospective randomized controlled trial", "firstAuthor": "Lee", "multipleAuthors": true, "journal": "Minerva Surg", "year": 2021, "design": "rct", "n": 80, "nField": "reported", "population": "adults with grade III (severe) internal hemorrhoids", "intervention": "Doppler-guided hemorrhoid artery ligation with suture mucopexy (a surgical procedure)", "comparator": "ligature-assisted pile excision surgery (LigaSure)", "primaryOutcome": "cure rate, postoperative pain, and anal skin tags after surgery", "result": "The ligature-assisted excision group had a higher cure rate and fewer anal skin tags, but more pain, than the Doppler-guided ligation group", "resultDirection": "mixed", "quality": "low", "qualityWhy": "This is a small surgical trial about hemorrhoid removal techniques, not about any cream for anal skin tags, so it cannot answer the question asked.", "directness": "indirect", "limitations": "Small sample size, narrow young age range, and the abstract does not address topical treatments for skin tags at all.", "followUp": "", "plainFinding": "Not about skin tag cream.", "retracted": false, "expressionOfConcern": false, "hasErratum": false, "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34080821/", "sourceText": "BACKGROUND: Doppler-guided hemorrhoid artery ligation and stapled hemorrhoidopexy have been used in surgical practices to avoid post-hemorrhoidectomy pain. Our study compared Doppler-guided hemorrhoid artery ligation with suture mucopexy (DGHAL-SM) and ligature-assisted pile excision (LAP) for greater than three grades of internal hemorrhoids. METHODS: Eighty patients with greater than 3 grades of internal hemorrhoids were selected (age range: 20-28 years; average age: 23 years) between January and June 2015. The patients were randomly divided into group A (DGHAL-SM) and group B (LAP); each group had 40 patients. RESULTS: With respect to the postoperative cure rate and anal skin tags, group A was inferior to group B, but the postoperative pain assessment and satisfaction were better than group B (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The DGHAL-SM cure rate was high; the postoperative pain was mild; 97.5% of the patients did not return to hospital because of pain. LAP has a higher cure rate than DGHAL-SM, but the postoperative pain and return rate within 6 h was as high as 65%, and the postoperative satisfaction assessment was lower than DGHAL-SM. Therefore, we recommend that DGHAL-SM for outpatient surgery in patients with greater than three grades of internal hemorrhoids.", "provenance": [ { "field": "population", "quote": "Eighty patients with greater than 3 grades of internal hemorrhoids were selected (age range: 20-28 years; average age: 23 years)" }, { "field": "intervention", "quote": "Doppler-guided hemorrhoid artery ligation with suture mucopexy (DGHAL-SM)" }, { "field": "comparator", "quote": "ligature-assisted pile excision (LAP)" }, { "field": "primaryOutcome", "quote": "RESULTS: With respect to the postoperative cure rate and anal skin tags, group A was inferior to group B, but the postoperative pain assessment and satisfaction were better than group B" }, { "field": "result", "quote": "group A was inferior to group B, but the postoperative pain assessment and satisfaction were better than group B" }, { "field": "n", "quote": "Eighty patients with greater than 3 grades of internal hemorrhoids were selected" } ] }, { "id": "pmid:23102076", "pmid": "23102076", "doi": "10.9738/CC92.1", "nctId": null, "pmcid": "PMC3723212", "title": "Glyceryl trinitrate ointment did not reduce pain after stapled hemorrhoidectomy: a randomized controlled trial", "firstAuthor": "Cross", "multipleAuthors": true, "journal": "Int Surg", "year": 2012, "design": "rct", "n": 210, "nField": "reported", "population": "adults with grade 3/4 hemorrhoids having stapled hemorrhoid surgery", "intervention": "glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) ointment applied after surgery", "comparator": "routine postoperative care without GTN ointment", "primaryOutcome": "pain after surgery", "result": "GTN did not reduce pain, and skin tags needing removal were similar in both groups", "resultDirection": "no-benefit", "quality": "moderate", "qualityWhy": "It was a randomized trial with reasonable numbers, but it studied pain after surgery, not whether a cream removes existing skin tags.", "directness": "indirect", "limitations": "Some patients stopped using GTN due to side effects, and the study focused on post-surgical pain rather than non-surgical skin tag removal.", "followUp": "", "plainFinding": "No pain reduction; skin tags unaffected.", "retracted": false, "expressionOfConcern": false, "hasErratum": false, "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23102076/", "sourceText": "Medications, including topical 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), can reduce anal spasm and pain after excisional hemorrhoidectomy. GTN after stapled hemorrhoidopexy was compared with routine postoperative management. Patients with symptomatic grade 3/4 hemorrhoids were recruited. After stapled hemorrhoidopexy, residual perianal skin tags were excised as appropriate. Those requiring double purse-string mucosectomy were excluded. Postoperative pain, pain duration, and complications were assessed. One hundred ten patients (74 men; mean age 50.6 years) were enrolled in the control group and 100 patients (57 men; mean age 49.8 years) in the GTN group. Maximum pain was higher in the GTN group (P = 0.015). There were no differences between the two groups in residual perianal skin tags requiring excision, postoperative complications, recurrence rates, follow-up period, average pain, duration of pain, or satisfaction scores. Sixteen GTN patients were noncompliant due to side effects. None had persistent perianal skin tags. GTN did not reduce postoperative pain after stapled hemorrhoidectomy.", "provenance": [ { "field": "n", "quote": "One hundred ten patients (74 men; mean age 50.6 years) were enrolled in the control group and 100 patients (57 men; mean age 49.8 years) in the GTN group." }, { "field": "population", "quote": "Patients with symptomatic grade 3/4 hemorrhoids were recruited." }, { "field": "intervention", "quote": "topical 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)" }, { "field": "comparator", "quote": "GTN after stapled hemorrhoidopexy was compared with routine postoperative management." }, { "field": "primaryOutcome", "quote": "Postoperative pain, pain duration, and complications were assessed." }, { "field": "result", "quote": "GTN did not reduce postoperative pain after stapled hemorrhoidectomy." }, { "field": "result", "quote": "There were no differences between the two groups in residual perianal skin tags requiring excision" } ] }, { "id": "pmid:11432512", "pmid": "11432512", "doi": "10.1016/s1590-8658(01)80088-8", "nctId": null, "pmcid": null, "title": "Comparison of topically applied 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate ointment, incision and excision in the treatment of perianal thrombosis", "firstAuthor": "Cavcić", "multipleAuthors": true, "journal": "Dig Liver Dis", "year": 2001, "design": "rct", "n": 150, "nField": "reported", "population": "patients with perianal thrombosis (a blood clot near the anus)", "intervention": "topical glyceryl trinitrate ointment applied to the anal area", "comparator": "incision or surgical excision of the thrombosis", "primaryOutcome": "pain relief, recurrence rate, and presence of anal skin tags afterward", "result": "after one year, excision reduced anal skin tags significantly more than either incision or the glyceryl trinitrate ointment", "resultDirection": "no-benefit", "quality": "moderate", "qualityWhy": "It was a randomized trial with a reasonable number of patients and one-year follow-up, but it studied people with acute perianal thrombosis, not people seeking cosmetic removal of isolated skin tags, so it only indirectly answers the question.", "directness": "indirect", "limitations": "Population was selected for a different condition (perianal thrombosis), and skin tag outcome was a secondary comparison, not the main focus.", "followUp": "after one year", "plainFinding": "Cream less effective than surgery for tags.", "retracted": false, "expressionOfConcern": false, "hasErratum": false, "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11432512/", "sourceText": "BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Topically applied 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate ointment to the anal region, incision and excision were compared in the treatment of perianal thrombosis, in order to establish which method is the best in terms of pain relief, number of recurrences and the appearance of anal skin tags. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 150 patients were randomly divided into three groups of 50, each group being treated by one of the above-mentioned methods. The results of the treatment were evaluated during the first 4 days, after one month and after one year. RESULTS: A statistically significant reduction of pain was achieved by excision if compared with incision or conservative treatment with glyceryl trinitrate (p<0.001), and by conservative treatment with glyceryl trinitrate if compared with incision (p<0.01 on the 4th day of follow-up. Comparison of patients treated by the three different methods did not reveal any significant difference between these methods after one month (p>0.05). After one year the number of recurrences was significantly reduced after excision if compared with incision (p<0.05) or conservative treatment with glyceryl trinitrate (p<0.05). The number of patients without symptoms was significantly greater after excision if compared with incision or conservative treatment with glyceryl trinitrate (p<0.001). The number of patients with anal skin tags was significantly reduced in patients treated by excision if compared with incision (p<0.001) or glyceryl trinitrate treatment (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Excision is a significantly better method of treatment of perianal thrombosis than incision or topically applied 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate ointment.", "provenance": [ { "field": "population", "quote": "treatment of perianal thrombosis" }, { "field": "intervention", "quote": "Topically applied 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate ointment to the anal region" }, { "field": "comparator", "quote": "incision and excision" }, { "field": "primaryOutcome", "quote": "pain relief, number of recurrences and the appearance of anal skin tags" }, { "field": "n", "quote": "A total of 150 patients were randomly divided into three groups of 50" }, { "field": "result", "quote": "The number of patients with anal skin tags was significantly reduced in patients treated by excision if compared with incision (p<0.001) or glyceryl trinitrate treatment (p<0.001)." } ] } ], "faqs": [ { "q": "Should I stop using the cream if I've already started?", "a": "Nothing in these studies shows the cream causes harm, but nothing shows it removes the tag either. It's reasonable to stop and see a doctor to confirm what the growth actually is before continuing." }, { "q": "What actually works to remove a skin tag near the anus?", "a": "One study found that surgical excision removed more skin tags than a prescription ointment, though this was in people being treated for a blood clot, not a simple skin tag. A doctor can advise whether removal is needed and which method fits your situation." }, { "q": "Is it safe to use a skin tag cream in that area?", "a": "No study has tested this specific use, so the safety of applying a skin-tag product near the anus is unknown. The skin there is sensitive, and a product designed for other areas of the body hasn't been checked there." }, { "q": "How do I know it's really a skin tag and not something else?", "a": "Hemorrhoids, warts, and fissures can look similar to a skin tag. A clinician examining the area in person can tell you what it is before you try to treat it." }, { "q": "Do I even need to remove it?", "a": "These studies don't address whether removal is necessary for someone who just has a skin tag with no other symptoms. Skin tags are generally considered harmless, so this is worth discussing with a doctor rather than assuming treatment is required." } ], "patientTakeaway": "No study has tested whether an over-the-counter skin tag cream removes skin tags around the anus. The research that does exist looks at surgery and a prescription ointment for pain and hemorrhoids, not this product. See a doctor to confirm what the growth is; if you do want it removed, surgical excision is the option that has actually been studied to work.", "methodology": { "databases": [ "PubMed", "ClinicalTrials.gov", "Crossref" ], "searchStrings": { "pubmed": "(\"skin tag*\"[tiab] OR acrochordon*[tiab] OR \"fibroepithelial polyp*\"[tiab]) AND (anus[tiab] OR anal[tiab] OR perianal[tiab] OR anorectal[tiab]) AND (cream[tiab] OR topical[tiab] OR ointment[tiab] OR removal[tiab] OR treatment[tiab])" }, "pubmedQueryTranslation": "(\"skin tag*\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"acrochordon*\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"fibroepithelial polyp*\"[Title/Abstract]) AND (\"anus\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"anal\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"perianal\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"anorectal\"[Title/Abstract]) AND (\"cream\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"topical\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"ointment\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"removal\"[Title/Abstract] OR \"treatment\"[Title/Abstract])", "searchedOn": "2026-10-05", "inclusion": [ "Human, animal or laboratory studies reporting an outcome relevant to the question" ], "exclusion": [ "Records about a different condition or intervention", "Records reporting no outcome", "Retracted publications, which are listed but excluded from every count" ], "extractionLevel": "abstract", "gradingNote": "Evidence strength is adapted from the GRADE framework. It is not a GRADE assessment and was not produced by a GRADE panel.", "limits": [ "Fields were read from abstracts, not full text, so detail reported only in a paper's methods section is not captured." ] }, "seo": { "title": "Does Skin Tag Removal Cream Work on Anal Tags?", "description": "No study has tested OTC skin tag cream for perianal skin tags. 4 related studies (647 people) looked at surgery and ointments instead." }, "lastChecked": "2026-10-05", "lastChanged": "2026-10-05", "nextCheckDue": "2026-11-05", "history": [], "pipeline": { "screenModel": "claude-haiku-4-5", "extractModel": "claude-sonnet-5", "composeModel": "claude-sonnet-5", "promptVersion": "ev-1", "ranOn": "2026-10-05" }, "status": "published" }