Choose Hagen Health & Absolute Aesthetics
Because You Should Know What’s Growing on Your Skin.
Seborrheic keratoses are extremely common, benign skin growths that often become more noticeable with age. They may appear gradually over time or seem to develop suddenly, and some people develop only one or two while others develop many. Although seborrheic keratoses are not skin cancer and are not considered precancerous, their appearance can sometimes be concerning—especially when a growth is new, dark, raised, irritated, or changing.
These growths can occur on many areas of the body and vary considerably in appearance. They may be tan, brown, black, gray, or skin-colored and can range from relatively flat to thick and raised. Many have a characteristic waxy, scaly, or “stuck-on” appearance. Some become rough or crumbly, while others have a smoother surface. Because they can look so different from one person to another, patients may not recognize that several very different-looking spots are actually the same type of benign growth.
The first priority is determining whether the lesion appears consistent with a seborrheic keratosis. Not every brown, raised, rough, or changing growth is a seborrheic keratosis. Some benign lesions can look similar, and certain skin cancers—including melanoma—can occasionally resemble one. A lesion that is new or changing, has unusual pigmentation or borders, repeatedly bleeds, ulcerates, grows rapidly, or otherwise appears concerning and the treatment plan changes to a biopsy.
Seborrheic keratoses generally do not require treatment when they are asymptomatic but removal for cosmetic reasons is totally appropriate considered. when a growth becomes irritated by clothing or jewelry, catches during shaving or grooming, becomes itchy or uncomfortable, repeatedly becomes inflamed, or simply bothers you cosmetically.
When removal is appropriate, the method depends on the lesion's size, thickness, location, appearance, your skin characteristics, and the desired cosmetic outcome. Treatment options may include cryotherapy, curettage, shave removal, electrodesiccation or electrocautery, or other lesion-directed techniques. Some lesions may require more than one treatment, and removal can sometimes result in temporary or permanent changes in pigmentation, texture, or scarring.
At Hagen Health, I do not approach every unwanted skin growth as something that simply needs to be removed. I first consider what it is, whether its appearance is reassuring, and whether removal is appropriate. If a lesion has characteristics that warrant biopsy thetreatment plan will then pivot to biopsy.
The goal is to help you understand what you are seeing, distinguish appropriate cosmetic treatment from something that requires further medical evaluation, and safely address seborrheic keratoses that are uncomfortable or unwanted.
