Things You Didn’t Know About Seborrheic Keratosis

Seborrheic keratoses are often benign (noncancerous) skin growths. As people age, they tend to occur more often. 

Typically, seborrheic keratoses are brown, black, or light tan in color. The lesions (growths) seem waxy or scaly and are somewhat elevated. They often start to show up on the face, neck, chest, or back gradually.

Back Seborrheic Keratoses

On the back, seborrheic keratoses are particularly typical. They show up as waxy, light tan, brown, or black growths that resemble candle drips on the skin. Some of them may become rather big, measuring more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.

Seborrheic keratoses are not infectious and are not harmful. They don’t need treatment, but if they get irritated by clothes or you don’t like the way they appear, you could choose to have them removed.

Seborrheic Keratoses Up Close

Seborrheic keratoses often have an oval or circular shape and may be any shade from light tan to black. They may form a single growth or grow in groups.

Symptoms

Seborrheic keratoses develop throughout time. Some warning signs and symptoms include:

• A round or oval, rough, or waxy lump that generally appears on the face, chest, shoulder, or back.
• A scaly growth having a distinctive “pasted on” appearance that is either flat or slightly elevated.
• Various sizes, ranging from tiny to over 1 inch (2.5 cm) across
• A variety of numbers, from a single growth to many growths
• Very tiny growths grouped on the face, also referred to as flesh moles or dermatosis papulosa nigra, are typical on people with Black or Brown skin.
• Various shades of brown or black, from light tan.
• Itchiness

When To See A Doctor

If the growth’s appearance concerns you or if it becomes uncomfortable or bleeds when your clothes scrape against it, see a doctor. Also see a medical professional if you detect any unexplained changes to your skin, such as sores or growths that expand quickly, bleed, or fail to heal. These could indicate skin cancer.

Causes

Experts are unsure of the exact etiology of seborrheic keratosis. Since this kind of skin growth does seem to run in families, a genetic propensity is probably there. You run the danger of getting more if you’ve already had one seborrheic keratosis.

A seborrheic keratosis is neither infectious nor malignant.

Risk Factors

After the age of 50, seborrheic keratoses are most common. Additionally, if the disease runs in your family, you are more likely to develop them.

Diagnosis

The damaged skin may typically be examined by your doctor to see whether you have seborrheic keratosis. Your doctor may advise removing the growth so that it can be inspected under a microscope if there is any doubt about the diagnosis.

Treatment

The majority of the time, seborrheic keratoses do not go away on their own, although treatment is not necessary. If it starts to itch or bleed, or if you don’t like the way it looks or feels, you can decide to have it removed.

One or more of the following techniques may be used to remove seborrheic keratoses:

Freezing the growth. Cryotherapy, which involves freezing a growth with liquid nitrogen, may be a useful method for getting rid of seborrheic keratoses. On elevated, thicker growths, it sometimes fails. This procedure raises the possibility of irreversible pigment loss, particularly on those with black or dark skin.

The skin’s surface is either shaved or scraped (curettage). Your doctor will first numb the region before removing the growth with a scalpel blade. Cryosurgery is sometimes used with shaving or scraping to treat thinner or flat growths.

Using an electric current to ignite fire (electrocautery). Your doctor will first numb the region before using electrocautery to remove the growth. When eliminating thicker growths, this technique may be employed either alone or in conjunction with scraping.

Talk to your physicians about the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment. Some techniques may result in scarring and permanent or temporary skin discolouration. You might get a new seborrheic dermatitis elsewhere on your body after therapy.

Getting Ready For The Appointment

It’s probable that your primary care physician will be your first stop. You could get a direct referral to a dermatologist when you phone to make an appointment in certain circumstances.

Being well-prepared for your appointment is a smart idea since appointments might be quick. To assist you in getting ready for your appointment, here is some information.

How you can help

Basic inquiries to ask your doctor about a seborrheic keratosis include:

• Do tests need to be done to verify the diagnosis?
• Which course of action is ideal?
• Which medical procedures might result in permanent skin discolouration or scarring?
• Will the spot naturally disappear?
• What are the costs of the treatments? Are these expenses covered by health insurance?
• What odd skin changes should I watch out for?

During your visit, don’t be afraid to ask any additional questions that come to mind.

What to anticipate from your physician

Your doctor could ask:

• When did the skin lesion initially catch your attention?
• Have you seen various growths?
• Have the growth patterns changed at all?
• Is the illness a pain?
• Do any relatives also suffer from this condition?