The skin around the anus has more laxity than in other parts of the body. The reason for this is that the anal canal is in constant use and needs to stretch every day, sometimes multiple times, in order for us to open our bowels. Mostly it stretches to allow passage of stool without any complications. The skin should return to its normal size. Conditions such as constipation (straining!), piles, fissures and other bowel related conditions (Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis) can increase the risk of developing loose redundant skin or ‘tags’ which persist.

Sometimes, people don’t have any of these medical conditions. In this scenario simply wiping daily can result in traction on this lax skin which can lead to increasing size of anal skin tags. Unfortunately these tags tend to slowly enlarge over time as wiping after passing a motion is hard to avoid in life. Alternative methods could include use of a bidet or showering the perineum after passing a motion specifically to avoid the need for excessive ribbing of the area.