520 Tamalpais Drive, Ste 204 Corte Madera, California 94925203 Santa Cruz Avenue, Suite 306. Los Gatos, California 95030
+1 (510) 588-5996Schedule A Consultation

Skin Tag Removal in Corte Madera & Los Gatos

Medically reviewed by Dr. Michael Potter, MDLast reviewed

Performed byOur nurse practitioner

Offered at520 Tamalpais Drive, Ste 204, Corte Madera

Skin tags are small, benign growths of excess skin that commonly appear on the neck, underarms, eyelids, and areas where skin rubs together. While harmless, they can be bothersome, catching on clothing or jewelry, and many patients simply prefer them gone.

IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU

Who it’s for

  • Adults with the concerns lasers treat: unwanted hair, acne, rosacea and redness, broken blood vessels and spider veins, age spots and melasma, wrinkles, scars, and loose skin.
  • All skin types can be treated with the right laser and settings, though darker skin needs particular care (see below).

What Is Skin Tag Removal?

Skin tags are small, benign growths of excess skin that commonly appear on the neck, underarms, eyelids, and areas where skin rubs together. While harmless, they can be bothersome, catching on clothing or jewelry, and many patients simply prefer them gone.
At Afterglow, we offer fast, precise skin tag removal with minimal discomfort and no significant downtime.

How It Works

Depending on the size and location of the skin tag, removal is performed using laser treatment (Aerolase) or a minor clinical procedure. The area is numbed beforehand for comfort. Most skin tags are removed in a single session.

What to Expect

During Treatment

The procedure takes just a few minutes per tag. A topical numbing agent is applied first. You may feel mild pressure or warmth during treatment.

After Treatment

A small scab forms at the treatment site and falls off naturally within 1–2 weeks. Keep the area clean and avoid picking. Scarring is rare when aftercare instructions are followed.
have a question?

Quick answers to questions you may have

Will they come back?
Removed skin tags do not grow back. However, new ones can develop in other areas over time, particularly with age or weight changes.
How many can be removed in one session?
Multiple skin tags can typically be treated in a single appointment. Your provider will assess during consultation and let you know if additional sessions are needed based on quantity and location.

SAFETY

Safety information

Read this before your treatment, and tell your provider about any condition or medicine it mentions.

Contact us if you notice blistering, oozing, spreading redness or signs of infection after a treatment.

Who should not have it

  • Pregnancy, an active skin infection, or certain medications: the AAD says skin-tightening procedures aren't right in these cases, and some medicines make skin more sensitive to laser light.
  • A recent tan or sunless tanner: skip both before treatment.
  • Tell your provider first if you scar easily, have ever had a keloid, get cold sores or genital herpes, have taken isotretinoin, or take any medicine, including aspirin.
  • Breastfeeding, as well as pregnancy: studies of this laser leave out both.
  • Lupus or another condition that makes skin sensitive to light, or a medicine that does: a hospital trial of the Neo Elite lists these as reasons not to treat.
  • Sunburn in the area to be treated.
  • Tell your provider first if you have epilepsy: studies of this kind of laser leave it out.

Common side effects

  • Redness, swelling and discomfort, usually gone in 1 to 3 days.
  • Occasional bruising for a few days.
  • During a course of acne treatment, acne can flare for a while and skin can feel dry. These were the most common effects in a 225-patient study of the Neo Elite.
  • On psoriasis patches, crusting, sometimes with small spots of blood.
  • After the Era Elite, a resurfacing laser: redness for a few days to a week while the skin heals.

Serious risks

  • Blistering and burns.
  • Cold sore outbreaks and infection.
  • Lightening or darkening of the skin, and scarring, which can be permanent. Darker skin is more prone to burns and dark marks.

Sources

  1. American Academy of Dermatology: Laser hair removal FAQs
  2. American Academy of Dermatology: Laser hair removal, preparation
  3. American Academy of Dermatology: Skin conditions that lasers can treat
  4. American Academy of Dermatology: Many ways to firm sagging skin
  5. Nice University Hospital, melasma trial of the Néo Élite laser, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06644157
  6. Olugbade et al., 650-microsecond 1064 nm laser (Neo Elite) for acne, 225 patients, J Cosmet Dermatol (2025)
  7. Kołt-Kamińska et al., 650-microsecond 1064 nm laser for psoriasis, Dermatologic Therapy (2021)
  8. Aerolase, Era Elite (2940 nm) device page

Related treatments

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