Skin tags refer to small growths on the surface of the skin, which can occur on various parts of the body. They can be as small as a millet seed or as large as a soybean, with a smooth or rough surface, resembling a pinhead or flower stamen, and appearing in normal skin color or yellowish-white.

This condition was anciently referred to as "mouse nipple (molluscum contagiosum)" or "wart eye (verruca vulgaris)"; commonly known as "warts" or "flat wart," it is one of the common skin diseases among young people.

bubble_chart Pattern Analysis

1. Blood Deficiencywind-dryness︰The skin lesions are round or irregularly shaped growths, about the size of foxtail millet or soybeans, with normal skin color, firm texture, and a rough, spiny surface. They commonly appear on the back of the hands and feet, palms, soles, or the head and face, usually without noticeable symptoms, though larger ones may cause pain. These growths are caused by liver deficiency and blood dryness, leading to poor nourishment of the tendons and qi. They appear as round or irregular protrusions, firm in texture, with a rough, spiny surface resembling flower stamens. Treatment should focus on nourishing kidney water and liver blood, moistening dryness, and dispelling wind. The recommended formula is Modified Rehmannia Decoction with Angelica and Peony. Additionally, crushed java brucea fruit can be applied as a paste, changed every three to five days, or heated black extraction ointment can be dripped onto the wart, also changed every three to five days.
2. Wind with Heat︰The skin lesions are flat, tough papules the size of a cap or mung bean, with normal skin color or light brown, smooth surface, commonly occurring on the cheeks and back of the hands, accompanied by mild itching. The characteristics of the skin lesions are slightly raised, flat, smooth, and firm papules, often found on the face and back of the hands. It is advisable to clear heat and detoxify, using the "Qu You San Hao Fang" formula; meanwhile, the "You Xi Fang" can be applied externally for washing.
3. Wind-heat Toxin︰The skin lesions are hemispherically raised papules the size of mung beans or peas, with a central umbilication and a glossy surface, resembling "mouse nipple (molluscum contagiosum)." They appear scattered or in clusters, and a white, cheese-like substance can be squeezed out when punctured. The characteristics of the lesions are: firm, hemispherically raised papules with a shiny surface and a central umbilication, which can occur anywhere on the body. Treatment involves clearing heat and detoxifying, using the Qu You San Hao Fang (Wart-Removing Formula No. 3). For external treatment, after disinfecting the skin, puncture the wart with a Sparganium Rhizome needle, squeeze out the white core, and then apply Realgar Removing Toxin Powder topically.
4. Qi and Blood Stagnation︰The skin lesions present as firm patches the size of soybeans to broad beans, with a central white-yellow induration that causes significant pain upon pressure. They commonly occur on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. This condition is caused by exposure to wind-cold while the feet are hot and damp, leading to stagnation of qi and blood. Warts appear as firm growths the size of soybeans or broad beans, typically found on the soles or palms. Treatment should focus on promoting blood circulation and softening hardness, using the "Qu You No. 4 Formula." External treatment is the same as for blood deficiency wind-dryness.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Zhubing Yuanhou Lun．Volume 31: "Wart eye (verruca vulgaris) refers to the sudden appearance of bean-like or tendon-like growths on the edges of a person's hands or feet, either singly or in groups of five or ten, embedded in the muscle, coarser and tougher than the surrounding flesh, known as wart eye (verruca vulgaris). This is also caused by wind evil attacking the muscles and transforming into this condition."
2. Waike Zhengzong．Volume 4: "Wart eye (verruca vulgaris) is due to depression injuring the liver, leading to a lack of nourishment in the liver, which causes the tendon qi to manifest externally."