seborrheic keratosis

A seborrheic keratosis is a type of skin growth. They can be unsightly, but the growths aren’t harmful. However, in some cases a seborrheic keratosis can be difficult to distinguish from melanoma, a very serious type of skin cancer.

If your skin changes unexpectedly, you should always have it looked at by a doctor.

When to see a doctor

A seborrheic keratosis isn’t dangerous, but you shouldn’t ignore growths on your skin. It can be difficult to distinguish between harmless and dangerous growths. Something that looks like seborrheic keratosis could actually be melanoma.

Have a healthcare provider check your skin if:

there’s a new growth
there’s a change in appearance of an existing growth
there’s only one growth (seborrheic keratosis usually exists as several)
a growth has an unusual color, such as purple, blue, or reddish-black
a growth has borders that are irregular (blurred or jagged)
a growth is irritated or painful

If you’re worried about any growth, make an appointment with your doctor. It’s better to be too cautious than ignore a potentially serious problem.

Methods of removal

Three commonly used removal methods are:

Cryosurgery, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze off the growth.
Electrosurgery, which uses an electrical current to scrape off the growth. The area is numbed before the procedure.
Curettage, which uses a scoop-like surgical instrument to scrape off the growth. It’s sometimes used with electrosurgery.