Skin tag removal in Brighton by a doctor (Plexr)
Skin tags are small, soft, harmless growths that hang from the skin, most often on the neck, eyelids, armpits and body folds. At Dr Selvi's doctor-led clinic in Brighton they are removed with Plexr plasma after a dermatoscopic check, from £99 per session. Suspicious lesions are referred instead. Book a free consultation for an assessment.
What a skin tag is, and what it is not
A skin tag, or acrochordon, is a small outgrowth of normal skin containing a core of loose connective tissue and tiny blood vessels. They range from a millimetre to the size of a pea, are skin-coloured or slightly darker, and usually sit on a narrow stalk. They are very common, more so with age, in skin folds where there is friction, and in people who carry extra weight or have insulin resistance. They are neither contagious nor cancerous.
Several other things can look like a skin tag from across the room: small moles, seborrhoeic keratoses (the waxy "stuck-on" spots of middle age), warts, neurofibromas and, rarely, a pigmented lesion that needs proper investigation. Removing something without knowing what it is risks destroying a lesion that should have gone to a laboratory, or spreading a wart. That is why the clinic's rule is diagnosis before treatment.
Why Dr Selvi examines first
Every lesion removal at the clinic begins with a dermatoscopic examination. A dermatoscope is a magnifying instrument with polarised light that shows a lesion's structure beneath the surface. A true skin tag has a characteristic pattern: a stalk, uniform colour, no pigment network, no irregular structures. Where the pattern is anything other than clearly benign, Dr Selvi does not proceed with Plexr; he advises mole mapping, monitoring, or referral for excision so the tissue can be examined by a pathologist.
Plasma removal, like laser or cryotherapy, destroys the lesion rather than removing it whole, so there is no sample to send away: acceptable for a lesion a doctor has confirmed as benign, a bad idea for anything else. Our post on mole checks and dermoscopy explains what the examination involves and what Dr Selvi is looking for, and our earlier post on mole removal methods covers why we do not treat pigmented moles the way we treat skin tags.
A stand-alone dermatoscopy appointment is £69 and mole mapping and monitoring £129, as listed on the pricing page.
How Plexr removes a skin tag
Plexr generates a small plasma arc between the tip of the device and the skin. The arc sublimates tissue, turning it directly to vapour at the point of contact, with almost no heat conducted into the surrounding skin. For a skin tag, Dr Selvi treats the stalk and base so the tag separates and the base is sealed. There is no cutting or stitching and, because the vessels in the stalk are sealed as the tissue sublimates, very little bleeding.
Numbing cream is applied for around 20 minutes beforehand; larger tags may have a small local anaesthetic injection. A single tag takes seconds, a cluster a few minutes. Most patients describe a warm, prickling sensation rather than pain. The same technique is used, with different settings, for xanthelasma and for eyelid tightening.
Where Plexr suits, and where it does not
Plexr suits skin tags anywhere on the body, including the delicate skin of the eyelid, neck and groin where a blade or freezing can be awkward. It also suits confirmed seborrhoeic keratoses, milia and other benign blemishes Dr Selvi has assessed, and its precision makes it well suited to the face.
It does not suit lesions that have not been examined, pigmented moles with any atypical feature, lesions that have changed recently, anything that bleeds or itches without explanation, or viral warts, which are better managed differently. It is not offered where there is active infection at the site or medication that impairs healing, and a history of keloid scarring needs a discussion of the risk first. In pregnancy Dr Selvi will usually suggest waiting.
Downtime and risks, stated plainly
After treatment each removed lesion leaves a small dry crust, typically two to five millimetres across, that falls off within five to seven days. The skin underneath is pink for a few weeks, sometimes longer on the body, and needs SPF 50 for eight to twelve weeks to avoid a darker or paler mark. Keep the area clean and dry for the first day, do not pick it, and avoid pools and saunas until the crust has gone.
Risks are low but real: infection, a small pale or dark mark, a slight indentation where a larger lesion was, and regrowth of a tag whose base was not fully treated, which can be re-treated. Very rarely, a scar. Dr Selvi discusses these before treatment and reviews the area if there is any concern.
Multiple skin tags and pricing
Skin tags rarely arrive alone; neck and armpit clusters of ten or twenty are common, and the practical question is what a session costs. Plexr mole, skin tag and blemish removal is listed at £99. Where there are several lesions, or a mix of tags and other blemishes, Dr Selvi confirms the number of sessions and the total at the consultation so there are no surprises. The final price is always confirmed after examination.
New tags can appear over the years where friction and weight are unchanged. Removal neither causes more to grow nor prevents new ones.
Frequently asked questions
Does skin tag removal hurt? With numbing cream most patients feel a warm pricking sensation for a second or two per tag rather than pain. Larger tags may have a small local anaesthetic injection. The area can feel tender for a day afterwards.
Can I get skin tags removed on the NHS? Skin tags are classed as cosmetic and are not normally removed on the NHS. Private removal by a doctor is the usual route, and it should always include an examination to confirm the lesion is a skin tag.
How much does skin tag removal cost in Brighton? At Dr Selvi Clinic, Plexr skin tag, mole and blemish removal is listed at £99. The consultation is free, and for multiple lesions the number of sessions and total are confirmed at that appointment.
Will the skin tag grow back? A tag whose base has been fully treated does not usually return. New tags can form elsewhere over time, especially in areas of friction. If one does regrow it can be re-treated.
Can skin tags on the eyelid be removed safely? Yes, Plexr is precise enough to treat eyelid skin tags close to the lash line without cutting. Dr Selvi assesses each one with a dermatoscope first, and eyelid lesions with any unusual features are referred rather than removed.
Is there a scar after Plexr skin tag removal? Usually a small crust, then a pink spot that fades over a few weeks with sun protection. A visible scar is rare, but the risk is higher for larger lesions on the body and in people prone to keloid scarring, which is discussed beforehand.
Who will treat me
Dr Selvi, founder and medical director, ECFMG-registered doctor with over 10 years of medical and aesthetic experience.
Book a free consultation
A skin tag should be examined by a doctor before it is removed, and at this clinic that examination is part of the free consultation. Book a free, no-obligation consultation at 57B London Road, Brighton BN1 4JE, call +44 7570 099947, or use the contact page. Diagnosis before treatment, with dermatoscopy and skin ultrasound where relevant, is what a doctor-led clinic means in practice.
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