What Are Skintags? – High Insulin Levels?

Simply put, skin tags are small growths that hang off your skin. They’re extremely common but essentially harmless, albeit they can sometimes indicate underlying health issues, including diabetes. 

What do skin tags look like?

Skin tags are small, soft, skin-coloured growths on your skin’s surface.  They can vary in colour and size – from a few millimetres up to 5cm (about 2 inches) wide. 

They are usually found on the neck, armpits, around the groin, or under the breasts, but they can also grow on the eyelids or under the folds of the buttocks. 

They can look like a bit like warts, but skin tags are usually smooth and soft whereas warts tend to be rougher with an irregular surface. Skin tags are also knobbly and hang off the skin whereas warts are usually slightly raised or flat. The good news is that skin tags are not contagious (unlike warts which spread very easily) so a sudden outbreak or cluster of growths is more likely to be warts. 

Why do skin tags occur?

Skin tags are made of loose collagen fibres and blood vessels surrounded by skin. Both men and women can develop skin tags, but they tend to occur in older people and (significantly) people who are obese or have prediabetes or type-2 diabetes. 

If you are suffering with type 2 diabetes and struggle with controlling your diet and sugar levels, ProLongevity is here to help. We can help you choose the right diet and lifestyle choices to help you live healthier for longer. 

However, there are factors that can increase the likelihood of skin tags which include: 

• Excess weight and obesity can lead to an increase in skin folds and creases, this provides the ideal conditions for skin tags to form. 
• Some people may be genetically predisposed to developing skin tags meaning are likely to have skin tags regardless of their health. 
• Having changes and fluctuations in hormone levels, (remember insulin naturally increases during pregnancy) such as during pregnancy or at puberty (again there’s a natural increase in insulin during puberty) can contribute to the formation of skin tags. 
• Constant friction or rubbing of the skin, which can be due to tight clothing, jewellery, and tight underwear, can also trigger skin tags to develop. 

Why do Skin tags matter?

If you have a diet high in carbs and sugars, your insulin will be high as a result. (Insulin controls blood sugar, so more sugar = more insulin). But insulin has numerous actions on the body, one of which is cell proliferation. Uncontrolled cell growth is a bad thing of course, which is one reason why people with type 2 diabetes are more prone to cancer. 

So obesity and weight gain can see an increase in both skin tags and type 2 diabetes.  This is because the excessive adipose tissue (fat tissue) can contribute to hormone changes, imbalances, and insulin resistance; all factors which can increase skin tags.  

Thus while skin tags are harmless, they DO indicate that your insulin levels are probably too high and you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

Treatment Options:

An important thing to be aware of is never to attempt to remove large skin tags yourself because they’ll bleed heavily. There are other ways to help reduce skin tags from forming. 

Keeping blood sugar levels within the healthy range and so maintaining low insulin levels can not only help you monitor your diabetes risks and blood sugar spikes but also, help reduce skin tags. 

Formation of skin tags can be made more likely due to tight clothing and friction. By keeping your skin clean and dry and avoiding tight clothing that may cause friction will help to reduce the likelihood of skin tags forming. 

So regularly inspecting your skin for any new growths, including skin tags, is a good way to avoid health complications such as developing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes  

How we can help:

We understand that seeing increased skin tags is somewhat unsightly and can be worrying. So reassured: the ProLongevity program can provide you with lifestyle changes, diet, and coaching to ensure you are tackling the root cause.  

By providing you with the right guidance, our precision-nutrition approach can help you reduce the risk of developing conditions like pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes and prevent all the health complications that follow. In short, we will help you Live Healthy for Longer.