Lots of little skin tags all over my neck, is this a normal sign of ageing?

[Armyofprawns]

When I rub my hands over my neck I can feel lots of little skin tags, some are quite visible whilst others are tiny but there are loads. I also have sebborrheic Keratosis over my chest.

I've been told it could be a sign of diabetes but I don't have many symptoms of this. No extra thirst or peeing more. I am 51 and in peri so have many physical symptoms at the moment but none that I can think of as a sign of diabetes. I am stressed and exhausted but I care for a parent with dementia. I am slim, exercise, don't drink or smoke and I don't consume much sugar (do eat a lot of carbs though).

Does anyone else have this? I sit a normal part of getting older?

I have a few and I'm 30... popped up few years back. My mum has loads, too. Both healthy!

I have loads and always have although they have worsened as I have got older.
I think there is a strong genetic/ hereditary link as my mum and grand mother also had loads. They also seem to be sensitive to skin irritants such as friction from clothes and sun exposure. I have never heard about the link with diabetes and it hasn't held true in my experience.

DP is currently going through peri and has started getting a ton of these. I on the other hand seem to start getting them in places like my elbow creases once I pass a certain weight threshold!

It can be clothing rubbing in these areas, my sister and Dad do get them and are diabetic so is also a risk factor. You can have them removed if they are catching as they can be uncomfortable and bleed.

I’ve had loads appear since getting pregnant. They’re driving me mad as they keep catching on clothing, jewellery etc. I presume they can be hormone related?

I had heaps and then was diagnosed with diabetes. Once my diabetes was under control, the skin tags all vanished very quickly.

You can buy stuff to remove them, I use Tag Band. They have to be a fairly substantial size though. I have some tiny ones and even the smallest bands won’t fit. I don’t believe the NHS will remove them anymore, have to go private.

I’ve had a diabetes test and it came back negative, so it may not always be a sign of diabetes.

They usually form where skin rubs against skin, so it stands to reason that they’re more common on overweight people. I’ve not heard the diabetes link.

I have several on my neck where my work lanyard sits and no diabetes

My other half sometimes gets these, I didn't realize they were associated with diabetes!

Normal. O have had this since 42 (I'm 44) and my sis has. A dermatologist said could be genetic nothing to worry about.

I have a dermatologist for other issues so I asked about dozens of these that had cropped up in less than a year. I also get bloodwork done regularly that ruled out diabetes. She said it’s just age and friction.

they were really itchy and I wanted them done. I had two options. She could remove them in a private appointment for $$ or she could refer me to her partner nurse/esthetician who would do the same job much cheaper. The whole thing was quick and easy. If I get another batch, I’m just booking the esthetician.

skin tags are a sign of insulin resistance not diabetes. and because the uk has a high benchmark for prediabetes you can develop them years before you get the disease. i’d suggest getting a diabetes and blood sugar check. If it’s over 5 then work with your gp to improve your diet.

You can snip them off with a pair of sharp sterilised scissors. It isn’t as painful as you’d think - very quick, just like a needle prick. I cut mine and my DHs off without any issues.

I have those on my neck too - they’re tiny so I can’t get them with the scissors or tie them off. So annoying. I’m not overweight, fit and healthy, no sign of diabetes, but I recall my mum had them so probably hereditary.

I'm due a blood test and will ask if they can check my blood sugars, thanks

Thanks everyone, seems they are quite common, I'll get my blood sugars checked but it's probably just another fun part of ageing.

I've successfully treated the ones on my neck, upper chest and under my boobs (urrgh) by using an exfoliating cream in the shower every day. Boots do one, it's for the face so I reckoned it'd be gentle enough for everywhere else.

I've used salicylic acid on them in the past, but I don't recommend as I burned my skin. Neat tea tree oil seems to work too if you dab it on.

Get a skintag pen / wand from amazon. Its like a soldering iron and zap, zap zap. You may need help with the zapping

Thanks DramaAlpaca and UrbanDieter, I'll have a look.

I wore a necklace 24/7 and that resulted in one. I now only wear a necklace for a day and then take it off at night (and go without one most of the time).

I have loads too and also lots of seborrheic keratoses. Sometimes I can just pinch them off using my nails!

I read on here some years back about the sugar/ diabetes link. I am 57, and have some on my neck, but they became much smaller/ disappeared when I cut out sugar for a couple of years.
Sadly the sugar monster is back and so are the skin tags.

I've got what you've got, about two dozen tags and keratosis. My dad is a walking dermatology clinic ergo I'm assuming it's hereditary. The doc who took a particularly bad looking one off my arm said 'it's just your body malfunctioning with age'

🥳