Seborrheic keratoses (SK’s) or “seb kays” are common, harmless skin lesions that typically occur on the trunk of older individuals. They are also referred to as senile warts, brown warts, age-spot, or barnacles.
They represent the benign proliferation of epidermal cells and are the most common of all skin growths. The cause of SK’s is unknown; however, there may be a genetic predisposition, and they are more common on sun-exposed areas.
Seborrheic keratoses tend to occur on the chest or back but can occur anywhere on the skin except the palms, soles, and mucosal surfaces.
They generally appear as stuck-on, wart-like lesions that are tan to brown in colour and can vary in number from one to several hundred. They are often asymptomatic but can be itchy or painful if they catch on clothing or become irritated.
Dark-coloured (pigmented) seborrheic keratoses are challenging to distinguish from certain types of skin cancer, but an evaluation by a dermatologist would be warranted.
Most patients come into the clinic requesting that their seborrheic keratoses be removed for cosmetic purposes.
If your dermatologist is concerned about a specific SK on your skin, a small in-office procedure called a biopsy can be performed to make sure it is benign.
At Heart Lake Cosmetic Dermatology, we use a variety of different techniques to remove seborrheic keratoses. Our removals are performed by our dermatologist, not a technician or an esthetician.
Our advanced removal techniques utilize liquid nitrogen or cryotherapy (a cold spray), lasers, hyfrecators, electrocautery, and surgical scalpel blades to ensure delivery of the best possible outcomes, limiting leftover marks, pigmentation, and scars.
Dr. Gupta has over 15 years of experience in removing thousands of seborrheic keratoses. He has performed over 100,000 removals to date.
Experience matters!
