Skin tags, those small, soft growths that pop up on the skin, often in skin folds, can be annoying and embarrassing. As harmless as skin tags are, many people want to get rid of them. This leads to the question – can adopting an all-meat carnivore diet remove skin tags? Let's take a closer look.
What Are Skin Tags?
Before examining if the carnivore diet can eliminate skin tags, let’s make sure we know exactly what skin tags are. Skin tags are small, soft, skin-colored growths that typically appear in skin folds or creases – around the neck, armpits, groin, under the breasts, or eyelids.
Key characteristics of skin tags
- Benign overgrowths of skin
- Range from the size of a grain of rice to a few millimeters
- Smooth or slightly lobulated surface
- Can be pink, tan, or brown
- Attached to the skin by a narrow stalk-like tissue
- Don't usually cause pain unless rubbed frequently
- Tend to increase in number with age, obesity, and diabetes
While harmless, skin tags can become irritated or inflamed. Their appearance and texture can also change over time.
What Causes Skin Tags?
The underlying cause of skin tags is unknown. These harmless growths seem to appear out of nowhere but are more common in people who are overweight or have diabetes.
Some possible factors that may influence skin tag development:
- Friction or skin rubbing together, especially in folds and creases
- Insulin resistance or fluctuations in insulin levels
- Genetics and family history
- Pregnancy due to shifting hormone levels
- Aging skin and loss of collagen
Skin tags themselves are usually harmless. But they can sometimes bleed or become irritated by friction against clothing or jewelry. In rare cases, they may be a sign of increased diabetes or cancer risk in some people.
Can the Carnivore Diet Remove Existing Skin Tags?
There is no evidence that suddenly switching to an all-meat carnivore diet will instantly remove or cure existing skin tags. Skin tags form deep in the skin layers where diet does not have a direct impact.
However, the carnivore diet may help prevent new skin tags from forming over time in those prone to developing them. Let's review why:
1. It May Improve Insulin Sensitivity
Since skin tags seem highly correlated with insulin resistance, improving insulin sensitivity may help reduce skin tag formation. The carnivore diet eliminates carbs that spike blood sugar.
One study found the carnivore diet lowered blood sugar and A1C levels, two key markers of insulin resistance. Over time, this may indirectly inhibit additional skin tags.
2. It Can Lead to Weight Loss
Obesity seems tied to a higher risk of developing skin tags. Losing excess weight can reduce skin friction and hormonal imbalances related to skin tags.
As a nutrient-dense and satiating diet, carnivore shows promising weight loss potential in many followers. Dropping excess pounds could alleviate factors encouraging skin tag growth.
3. It May Reduce Inflammation
Systemic inflammation appears connected to skin tag formation. Some research observes higher inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) in those with skin tags versus the general population.
The carnivore diet is anti-inflammatory for many people. By only eating meat, it removes common allergens and triggers foods. Reduced inflammation could translate to fewer skin abnormalities like tags.
Alternative Ways to Remove Existing Skin Tags
While the carnivore diet may only help prevent new skin tags, there are other effective removal options for existing ones:
- Cryotherapy – Freezing skin tags with liquid nitrogen. They often fall off within 1-2 weeks.
- Electrocautery – Burning skin tags off with a hyfrecator instrument. Requires local anesthesia.
- Excision – Surgically cutting off skin tags. Higher cost but lowest recurrence rate.
- Ligation – Tying off the skin tag stalk to cut off blood supply so it dies and falls off.
- Topical preparations – Over-the-counter skin tag removal medicine. Works best on smaller tags.
Talk to your doctor about the most appropriate removal method based on characteristics like size, location, and number of skin tags.
Can Carnivore Prevent Future Skin Tags?
Unlike removing existing skin tags, the carnivore diet shows more promise in helping prevent new ones, especially for those prone to developing them.
By sustainably improving metabolic health, inflammation levels, and body composition, carnivores appear to target several root causes tied to skin tag formation.
Of course, more research is still needed on the diet itself as well as genetic predispositions, lifestyle factors, and other influences on skin tag development.
However, based on the available information, adopting a strict carnivore regimen long-term may inhibit additional skin growths like tags. It likely produces compounding positive effects over many months and years.
Putting It All Together
While carnivores will not magically erase current skin tags overnight, they may benefit your health in ways that reduce future skin abnormalities.
Think of carnivores as more of a preventative measure against additional skin tags rather than a direct cure for existing ones. The diet optimizes various biomarkers associated with skin tag formation over months and years.
Of course, swiftly removing irritating current skin tags through other methods can complement the diet’s protective effects against recurrences. Discuss the most suitable removal options for your scenario with a dermatologist.
In summary – the carnivore diet likely inhibits new skin tag development through lowering inflammation and improving metabolic health. But other options work better for removing tags you already have. See it as just one piece of your overall skin care plan.