How to Cure Seborrheic Keratoses

Seborrheic keratosis is an extremely common skin condition among adults. It presents as a small wart-like growth, usually in a cluster of several growths. Keratoses can be brown, black or pale. While they can look like melanomas (cancerous growths on the skin), they are in fact quite benign and painless. The cause of seborrheic keratosis is unknown, but doctors believe that genetics may be a factor. Regardless, they are quite simple to treat.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult with your dermatologist about whether or not to treat the growths. It's entirely possible that you won't want to do anything about your keratoses because they usually don't cause any medical problems. But if your keratoses start bleeding, are causing irritation, or if you find them unsightly, you may consider removal.

• 2

  Discuss the various treatment options with your doctor. Cryosurgery is a very common option, in which your doctor will apply liquid nitrogen to the keratoses to remove them. This, however, may not work on larger growths, and may leave the skin slightly lighter in color. Alternately, your dermatologist may consider curettage, in which a special instrument scrapes along the skin to remove the wart. A final choice is electrocautery, in which an electric current will burn off the growth.

• 3

  After weighing the pros and cons of each method and discussing them with your doctor, choose the right treatment for you . Follow all pre- and post-operative indications carefully if you choose to have the keratoses removed.