Seborrheic keratoses are a common skin growth that appears to be a wart or barnacle-type growth on the skin. While some people have just a few, others have hundreds. Though they are no cause for worry as far as your health is concerned, they’re not always pretty. Here, Dr. Todd Minars of Minars Dermatology in Hollywood, Florida, a family-run business, discusses treatment options to get rid of them.
Seborrheic keratoses are benign warty growths that occur more frequently as you get older. They are not dangerous, just unsightly, and they are common. They look different from other types of skin lesions because they have a pasted-on appearance, although they can be either flat or raised.
Often people come in to see a dermatologist because their seborrheic keratoses are brown and pigmented and changing. But if they are actually seborrheic keratoses, they are always benign, people just do not realize that they are not melanomas.
Treatment Options
If you have one or two, you can freeze them off like a wart or sometimes shave them off, although this can leave some scarring, often a tiny white spot. If you have hundreds of them, the treatments options are limited. You can treat some of the big ones, but it is impractical to treat people who are covered in them.
You can burn anything off with a laser, but that’s not an inefficient way to treat them. It’s considered maybe too destructive to use a laser on seborrheic keratoses, so that’s not really done either. It would have to be a CO2 or a resurfacing laser. We don’t do it as it does not seem to be an efficient way to get rid of them. It’s more efficient to freeze them, which is more simple and less expensive.
Causes
Researchers have discovered some findings as to why people get seborrheic keratoses, although the exact cause is still unclear. There appears to be a genetic link, and some people are predisposed to get many of them. Some studies suggest that excess sun exposure may play a role, although they appear on both areas of the body that have and have not been exposed to the sun. Often they appear during pregnancy or as a result of estrogen therapy.
If you have several or many seborrheic keratoses, you may consider seeing your dermatologist to discuss treatment options. However, as they are completely harmless, you may want to leave them alone. Treatment is not really necessary, although some people find they itch, and others just don’t like their cosmetic appearance.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
