Can I Remove a Skin Tag from My Eyelid?

Quick answer: Yes, a skin tag on your eyelid can be removed, but it should be done professionally, never with a DIY kit. The eyelid is delicate, and an ophthalmologist can remove a tag quickly and safely, usually in a single short, near-painless office visit.

Skin tags are soft, benign growths on a thin stalk that can appear anywhere, including the eyelid. A small one that doesn't bother you can be left alone, but removal is simple when it becomes an issue.

Reasons to have an eyelid skin tag removed

• It limits eyelid movement
• It falls into your line of sight
• It irritates when you blink
• It catches on clothing or jewelry
• You don't like how it looks

Dermatologist vs. eye doctor

Both dermatologists and ophthalmologists who perform eyelid surgery can remove skin tags. It's a quick procedure done by excision (a small scalpel), ligation (tying off the stalk), or cryotherapy (freezing, after which the tag falls off over a couple of weeks). It's painless or only mildly uncomfortable. If removal is combined with another eyelid procedure, such as removing a pinguecula or pterygium or a blepharoplasty, you'll want an ophthalmologist.

Why to avoid DIY skin-tag removal kits

Home kits should be treated with extreme caution near the eye. Inexpert use can cause bleeding, scarring, tissue damage, infection, and pain, and you risk mistaking a more serious growth for a harmless tag. Professional removal virtually eliminates these risks.

Eyelid skin tag removal at West Boca Eye Center

West Boca Eye Center in Boca Raton performs eyelid procedures, including skin-tag removal, on an outpatient basis, often in well under an hour. Learn more or book with Dr. Brent Bellotte and our team.