About keratosis seborrheic
What is keratosis seborrheic?
Seborrheic Keratosis is a skin disorder usually characterized by discolored lesions that appear to be "stuck on" the skin surface. Warts may appear and skin is often oily or greasy. These skin lesions are sometimes mistaken for cancerous growths and tend to appear predominately during middle age. Itching, irritation, inflammations or unsightliness of lesions may require surgical removal of affected skin areas.
What are the symptoms for keratosis seborrheic?
See your doctor if the appearance of the growth bothers you or if it gets irritated or bleeds when your clothing rubs against it. Also see your doctor if you notice suspicious changes in your skin, such as sores or growths that grow rapidly, bleed and don't heal. These could be signs of skin cancer.
What are the causes for keratosis seborrheic?
Experts don't completely understand what causes a seborrheic keratosis. This type of skin growth does tend to run in families, so there is likely an inherited tendency. If you've had one seborrheic keratosis, you're at risk of developing others.
A seborrheic keratosis isn't contagious or cancerous.
What are the treatments for keratosis seborrheic?
A seborrheic keratosis typically doesn't go away on its own, but treatment isn't needed. You might choose to have it removed if it becomes irritated or bleeds, or if you don't like how it looks or feels.
Seborrheic keratosis removal can be achieved with one or a combination of the following methods:
- Freezing the growth. Freezing a growth with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy) can be an effective way to remove a seborrheic keratosis. It doesn't always work on raised, thicker growths. This method carries the risk of permanent loss of pigment, especially on Black or brown skin.
- Scraping (curettage) or shaving the skin's surface. First your doctor will numb the area and then use a scalpel blade to remove the growth. Sometimes shaving or scraping is used along with cryosurgery to treat thinner or flat growths.
- Burning with an electric current (electrocautery). First your doctor will numb the area and then destroy the growth with electrocautery. This method can be used alone or with scraping, especially when removing thicker growths.
Talk with your doctors about the risks and benefits of each method. Some methods can cause permanent or temporary skin discoloration and scarring. After treatment, you might develop a new seborrheic dermatosis elsewhere on your body.
What are the risk factors for keratosis seborrheic?
The peak time for developing seborrheic keratoses is after your 50s. You're also more likely to have them if you have a family history of the condition.
Is there a cure/medications for keratosis seborrheic?
Seborrheic keratosis is not harmful and does not require treatment. It can be removed if they irritate you.
Seborrheic keratosis can be removed using one or more of the following techniques:
- Growth is being frozen: Cryotherapy (freezing a growth with liquid nitrogen) can be an effective technique to eradicate seborrheic keratosis. It does not usually work on thicker, elevated growths. This procedure carries the danger of irreversible pigment loss, particularly on or dark skin.
- Curettage is the scraping or shaving of the skin's surface the specialist will numb the region before removing the growth with a scalpel blade. Shaving or scraping is sometimes performed in conjunction with cryosurgery to cure thinner or flat developments.
- Using an electric current to burn (electrocautery). The expert would numb the region first, then use electrocautery to eliminate the growth. This approach can be used alone or in conjunction with scraping to remove thicker growths.
Symptoms
A round or oval-shaped waxy or rough bump, typically on the face, chest, shoulder or the back,A flat growth or a slightly raised bump with a scaly surface,Very small growths clustered around the eyes or elsewhere on the face, sometimes called flesh moles or dermatosis papulosa nigra, common on Black or brown skin,Itchiness,Irritation from friction,Bleeding
Conditions
Noncancerous (benign) skin growth,Lesions
Drugs
Tazarotene cream 0.1%,Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) products, including glycolic acid and salicylic acid peels,Vitamin D3 cream
Video related to keratosis seborrheic