Anal skin tags and Crohn’s disease
Why these tags are different, and why removing them is usually the wrong answer
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If you have Crohn’s, or think you might, a consultation is the safe first step.
Skin tags around the anus are a recognised feature of Crohn’s disease. Where Crohn’s is involved, removal is usually not the right treatment, and we will tell you so.
This is a page about when not to have something removed. We have written it because almost nobody else has, and because it is the single most important thing a clinic offering anal skin tag removal should be willing to say out loud.
Why skin tags matter in Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease can affect the area around the anus as well as the bowel itself. When it does, skin tags are one of the more common visible signs, alongside fissures, fistulas and abscesses.
Sometimes the tags come after a Crohn’s diagnosis and are simply part of the picture. Sometimes they come first. There are people whose perianal skin tags were the earliest visible sign of a disease that had not yet been named, and who were eventually diagnosed because somebody looked properly and asked the right questions.
That is why a consultation for something that looks like a simple skin tag is not simply a measuring exercise.
How Crohn’s-related tags tend to differ
There is no single reliable giveaway, and no clinic should claim otherwise. But tags associated with Crohn’s more often:
- are larger, firmer and more swollen than an ordinary skin tag
- appear alongside fissures, fistulas, abscesses or persistent soreness
- occur in somebody who also has diarrhoea, abdominal pain, urgency, mouth ulcers, unexplained weight loss or a family history of inflammatory bowel disease
- are sore, which an ordinary skin tag usually is not
None of these confirms anything on its own. Taken together, they change what should happen next.
Why we usually do not remove them
Perianal skin in active Crohn’s disease does not heal reliably. Cutting into it carries a real risk of a wound that does not close, and of making the area worse rather than better. A small cosmetic problem can become a long-running one.
For that reason, conservative management is the accepted approach, and treating the underlying disease comes before treating the tag. Where Crohn’s is known or suspected, Bodyvie will not proceed with removal. We will explain why, and we will tell you what we think should happen instead.
If your disease is well controlled and your gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon is content that removal is appropriate, that is a conversation worth having with them first. We would want to see that view before proceeding.
If you have not been diagnosed with anything
Most people reading this will not have Crohn’s. Perianal skin tags are far more commonly the result of a resolved haemorrhoid, an old fissure, straining or childbirth, and removal in those cases is straightforward.
But if the examination raises the possibility, the right next step is a diagnosis, not a procedure. We would advise you to see your GP, and where appropriate suggest onward referral to a colorectal or gastroenterology service. That is not a fobbing-off. It is the correct order of events, and having the tag removed first would not help you.
What happens at your consultation
A consultation for something that looks like a simple skin tag is not merely a measuring exercise. Dr Corjos asks about bowel symptoms, pain, weight and family history, and examines the area for fissures, fistulas and anything else that changes what should happen next.
“There is nothing unusual about this for us. We see it regularly, it is a straightforward procedure, and nobody here will react to it. Privacy is built into how the clinic runs: you are seen in a private room, a chaperone is present throughout, and you are never asked to explain why you are here in front of anybody else. Most people tell me afterwards that the hardest part was deciding to make the appointment.”
Dr Vadim Corjos · Bodyvie Richmond and Belgravia
A proper history. Not just how long the tag has been there, but bowel symptoms, pain, weight, family history and anything else going on.
Examination with a female chaperone present. We look at the tag and at everything around it, including any sign of fissure or fistula.
An honest answer. Either this is a simple skin tag and removal is reasonable, or it is not, and we tell you what we think is going on and where to go with it.
Your consultation is with Dr Vadim Corjos (GMC 7822977), a cosmetic surgeon with fifteen years of surgical practice across general, trauma and reconstructive surgery, who performs every anal skin tag removal at Bodyvie. The consultation is the New Doctor Consult/Treatment – Anal Skin Tag Removal, £100, paid when you book online and redeemable in full against the cost of treatment. Your appointment is booked as 50 minutes, so where Dr Corjos is satisfied it is appropriate, the tag is assessed and removed at that same visit and you only need to come in once.
Telling them apart
Skin tags, haemorrhoids and warts, and how they differ.
Related reading
Tag, haemorrhoid or wart?
Three different things, often confused, treated three different ways.
After pregnancy
What settles on its own, how long to wait, and when removal makes sense.
The cost
From £495, plus £100 per additional tag. Consultation £100, redeemable in full against treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Are anal skin tags a sign of Crohn’s disease?
They can be. Skin tags around the anus are a recognised feature of perianal Crohn’s disease, and occasionally they are the first visible sign before the disease has been diagnosed. They are also extremely common in people who do not have Crohn’s, usually after a haemorrhoid, a fissure, straining or childbirth. The presence of a tag on its own does not mean very much. The presence of a tag alongside bowel symptoms does.
Can I have anal skin tags removed if I have Crohn’s?
Usually not, and we would advise against it. Perianal skin in active Crohn’s does not heal reliably, and surgery risks leaving a wound that does not close. Conservative management and treating the underlying disease come first. If your disease is well controlled and your gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon considers removal appropriate, we would want to see that view before proceeding.
Will Bodyvie turn me away?
If removal is not the right treatment for you, yes, and we would rather do that than take your money for a procedure that could leave you worse off. You will get an explanation and a clear view on what we think should happen instead.
What else should I look out for alongside the tags?
Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, urgency, blood in the stool, mouth ulcers, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or a family history of inflammatory bowel disease. Perianal fissures, fistulas or abscesses alongside a skin tag are also relevant. Any of these are worth raising with your GP.
I have Crohn’s and the tags bother me. Is there anything that can be done?
Symptom management is usually about controlling the underlying disease and looking after the skin, which is a conversation for your gastroenterology or colorectal team rather than a cosmetic one. They know your disease activity and treatment history, which is what determines whether anything surgical is ever sensible.
Do you still charge for the consultation if you decide not to treat me?
The surgical consultation is £100, paid when you book online. If we advise against treatment, you have still had a face-to-face assessment with a GMC-registered doctor and a clear steer on what to do next, which for some people is the more valuable outcome.
Book a consultation with Dr Vadim Corjos at Richmond or Belgravia for a proper assessment. £100 for the surgical consultation, paid when you book online, with a female chaperone present throughout.
020 7100 0744
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