Unfortunately, there is no permanent treatment for fibrofolliculomas, and the current treatments only remove the lesions temporarily.

If you only have a few skin lesions, you may be able to have them removed successfully and repeatedly without noticeable scarring. If you have a larger number of lesions, this may be more difficult. You may want to start by treating a small area to see what results you get.

Your dermatologist may suggest one of several treatments. These are common dermatology treatments that have not been specifically designed to treat BHD. Before you have any treatment you should make sure your doctor is aware that your skin condition is caused by BHD and so skin lesions may come back, as this may change what treatment options they suggest.

If your dermatologist has read an article about successful removal of Birt-Hogg-Dubé skin lesions, ask how long the results lasted and if this was reported in the article. If the article does not specify how the patient’s skin looked after a year or more, you cannot know how permanent the treatment was.

Brief details about each technique can be found on the following pages, but you should also ask your doctor for more information when considering treatment.

BHD skin lesions are benign and not life-threatening and therefore removing them is often considered a cosmetic procedure and might not be covered by medical insurance. However, they can affect your mental health and it is very important to discuss this with your doctor.

More detailed information about treatment options is available here. 

Have you had any treatment for your skin tags and want to offer advice, or would you like to know more? Why not visit the BHD Syndrome Facebook Group?

Last Updated: May 2021
Review date: May 2024