Should I Be Concerned About Skin Hanging From My Labia Minora?
Question: I have skin hanging from my labia minora. The skin is soft, fleshy, red, and doesn't itch or hurt. It is kind of shaped like a bottle that you might find in a chemistry lab (straight neck and a round bottom); the "neck" is what is attached directly to the labia. I am 56 years old. I don't know how long I've had it, but it sounds like it might be a polyp--it kind of looks like one of those finger cluster polyps that women get, except there is no cluster--there's only one. Can this be a polyp? Should I be concerned if there is no pain or discomfort in any way? I don't know how long it has been hanging there, but I saw it when I was treating a recent yeast infection with Monostat 7--it was there before the yeast infection.
Hello.
Thanks for writing to us.
The skin hanging from your labia is more likely to be a skin tag only.
If there is no pain, itching, change in size, redness, ulceration, change in color etc and the skin near to the lesion is normal looking then you need not worry. These are harmless skin tags and mostly remain like that for years.
You keep on self monitoring the tag and if any of the above said changes appear then you can get it removed from your gynaecologist and send the tissue removed for excision biopsy to know the type of lesion so that further treatment if needed can be continued.
I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful.
Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Thanks for writing to us.
The skin hanging from your labia is more likely to be a skin tag only.
If there is no pain, itching, change in size, redness, ulceration, change in color etc and the skin near to the lesion is normal looking then you need not worry. These are harmless skin tags and mostly remain like that for years.
You keep on self monitoring the tag and if any of the above said changes appear then you can get it removed from your gynaecologist and send the tissue removed for excision biopsy to know the type of lesion so that further treatment if needed can be continued.
I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful.
Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Manju M
In my question I stated the skin hanging from my labia minora is red. In your answer you said if there is redness, I should see a doctor. I am confused. The color of the growth is actually the same color as the skin on which it is hanging.
Hello,
Thanks for writing again.
By being red I meant any recent change in color to more of reddening or swelling or pain indicating an infection. As it has the same color as the surrounding skin, most likely it is a harmless tag.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Wish you a good health.
Thanks for writing again.
By being red I meant any recent change in color to more of reddening or swelling or pain indicating an infection. As it has the same color as the surrounding skin, most likely it is a harmless tag.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Wish you a good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
Thank you for your thorough answers. I will believe it is a harmless skin tag, but keep an eye on it as you suggest. If you don't mind, however, could you expound on why you think it is a skin tag and not a polyp? And if it were a polyp, would that be likely to be as beneign as a skin tag?
Hi,
Thanks again.
Polyps are more commonly on a mucosal surface. And on the skin, skin tags develop more commonly.
Even if it were a polyp, still you need to monitor it for the same changes.
I am happy that my answers have been helpful to you.
Regards.
Thanks again.
Polyps are more commonly on a mucosal surface. And on the skin, skin tags develop more commonly.
Even if it were a polyp, still you need to monitor it for the same changes.
I am happy that my answers have been helpful to you.
Regards.
Note: Revert back with your gynae reports to get a clear medical analysis by our expert Gynecologic Oncologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad