Surgical treatment for multiple lesions may be better than topicals alone
Seborrheic keratosistreatment is often not needed.
These wartlike growths, also called skin barnacles or barnacles of aging, are harmless.
Many people choose to have them removed to relieve symptoms or improve the way they look.
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Treating them can make them go away, though they can recur elsewhere.
Choosing the right treatment can be a challenge.
Treatments likecryotherapyandshave excisionproduce the best results, though they have risks of side effects.
Topical treatments can help but may take time and produce fewer results.
This article describes seborrheic keratosis treatments and their success in ridding your skin of these growths.
In these cases, yourdermatologistwill perform askin biopsyby shaving or scraping off skin cells from the growth.
The skin cells will be analyzed under a microscope for the presence of cancer.
Research indicates they are not related to hygiene.
Instead, they may be linked to factors including genetics, exposure, and changes inestrogenlevels.
These treatments yield different responses, though they typically do not achieve the results reported with cryosurgery.
Seborrheic Keratosis Surgical Treatment
Seborrheic keratosis surgical treatments are safe and effective options for removing skin barnacles.
Surgical treatments typically work faster than topical therapies, but they have a higher risk of side effects.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is the most frequent and effective treatment for freezing seborrheic keratosis.
The growth falls off within a few days of treatment.
These procedures may also be used alone.
The process leaves the deep layers of the skin intact.
Local anesthesia is used.
Shave excision can involve complications like wound infection and bleeding.
Damage to other structures like nerves and vessels is rare but possible.
Scarring with or without hypopigmentation (lighter skin at the treatment site) or hyperpigmentation is also possible.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy uses light from a laser to destroy the growth and seal the wound.
It has very good cosmetic results.
However, laser therapy is more expensive than other treatments.
Does Seborrheic Keratosis Come Back After Treatment?
Seborrheic keratosis is a chronic, relapsing skin condition.
The prognosis for someone treated for seborrheic keratosis is very good.
While most removed seborrheic keratoses do not return, new ones can develop elsewhere.
This is to ensure that the original diagnosis was correct and rule out the presence of cancer.
A skin biopsy can help your dermatologist make a definitive diagnosis.
Irritations can cause the condition to flare.
it’s possible for you to help reduce flares with the following daily skin-care strategies.
Cover your seborrheic keratosis growth with a bandage to prevent rubbing and bleeding if clothing irritates it.
After seborrheic keratosis removal, follow the instructions from your healthcare provider.
Do not venture to remove seborrheic keratosis at home.
Doing so can be dangerous because the growth may be something more serious.
It also presents a risk of infection.
Summary
Seborrheic keratosis can usually be left alone without treatment.
However, having them can pose problems.
These growths can become itchy and bleed.
They can also affect the way you look and the way you feel about yourself.
Safe and effective treatments exist, though most have a risk of side effects.
Scarring and discoloration at the treated site can occur.
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