Does electrosurgery treat seborrheic keratosis?

A seborrheic keratosis is a usually harmless, often rough or stuck-on growth. Electrosurgery uses heat produced by an electrical current to destroy or remove the visible tissue. A clinician may first examine the growth closely because a changing, irritated, or unusual lesion may need a different assessment before removal.

The area is normally cleaned and numbed before treatment. Afterward, the site can look scraped, crusted, or darker while it heals. The result depends on the growth's thickness, location, and how deeply it is treated; a treated spot can also leave a temporary or lasting change in colour or texture.

Arrange an examination rather than treating a new or changing growth at home. Tell the clinician about medicines or conditions that affect bleeding, healing, or immunity, and mention whether the lesion catches on clothing or becomes inflamed.

Follow the wound-care instructions, which may include gentle cleansing, keeping the area protected, and avoiding picking the crust. Sun protection after the skin has closed can help reduce persistent darkening. Attend any recommended review so the clinician can check healing and confirm whether further care is needed.

Seek prompt assessment if the growth bleeds without being rubbed, develops marked asymmetry, changes quickly, becomes persistently painful, or forms a sore that does not heal. After treatment, contact the clinic for spreading redness, increasing warmth, pus, fever, or bleeding that does not settle with firm pressure.

Ask whether the lesion has features that should be examined more closely, why electrosurgery is suitable for its thickness and site, what mark may remain, and how to care for the wound during healing.