Seborrheic Keratoses: Cause, Symptoms and Treatments

What is Seborrheic Keratosis?

Seborrheic Keratosis is a skin disorder in older adults. It is quite a common kind of disorder which is not cancerous (Benign). It is marked by kind of skin growth. It is seen that almost all the people face this kind of problem at least once in their life.

It is a usually seen on face, chest, back and shoulder. Seborrheic Keratosis is a pale, brown or black growth which is scaly and slightly raised over the skin. It appears waxy. Mostly it has multiple growths but sometimes, it can be single. A seborrheic Keratosis can be light tan to black in shade and is round to oval in shape. It looks like skin cancer but not a cancerous growth. Here is no pain associated with seborrheic Keratoses. It ranges from few millimeters to an inch in size. There is no need to treat them. They neither are contagious nor threat to health. People want to treat them for cosmetics reasons or they can be irritated by makeup or clothing.

It looks like that something is pasted on the skin; it is wart like growth. Sometimes, it may itch. Seborrheic keratoses are sometimes mistaken as moles, skin tags, warts or skin cancer. Person suffering with it should avoid rubbing, scratching and picking them. This kind of action can cause bleeding, inflammation and infection.

What are the causes of Seborrheic Keratosis?

 It is not known exactly what cause Seborrheic Keratosis. Tendency to get keratosis may be an inherited condition. Their occurrence may be related to sun exposure. People who are more than 30 years of age are prone to it. Women often develop it during pregnancy or after having estrogen. This type of growth is rare in children.

 Time to See a Doctor:

Though no treatment is needed and they are harmless but there are some conditions of seborrheic keratosis when you should meet a doctor.

Normally one or two seborrheic keratoses are seen over a period of many years but when you get many growths in a short time, and then you should consult the doctor.

It may sometimes get secondary infection due to rubbing or scratching, and then it becomes must to see a doctor.

Incase these are growths having pain, irritation and are not healing, these can be cancerous growth.

What is the Treatment for Seborrheic Keratoses?

Seborrheic keratoses are a harmless condition; it does not need any treatment. If these growths irritate your, bleed due to rubbing with clothes or you do not like their appearance, you can get them removed by opting for one of many options available.

Seborrheic Keratoses is not a deep rooted problem. It becomes very easy and simple to remove them without leaving a scar. Your doctor can prescribe one of following options to remove these skin growths.

Crysurgery: This procedure involves freezing the affected area of skin with liquid nitrogen. It is s successful way to remove seborrheic keratoses. But this therapy is not applied for large and thick growths as it may leave light marks after healing called hypopigmentation.

Curettage: This procedure involves scraping of skin surface with a special instrument. Many times curettage is combined with cryosurgery to treat flat or thinner growths. Electrocautery is another option which can be used with curettage.

Electrocautery : This procedure means burning the seborrheic keratoses with electric current. This process may take longer than other processes and can leave scars also at the point of growth.

Laser Removal: It uses an intense beam of light to burn and destroy the growth.

Excision of growth can be done after doctor gives a local anesthesia.