How long does electrosurgery take to work for seborrheic keratosis?

The electrical energy destroys the selected surface tissue. A crust, redness, tenderness or temporary darkening can appear before the skin settles. The visible result therefore develops as the treated area sheds and repairs itself, rather than immediately after the energy is applied. A thicker or larger stuck-on growth may need a different approach or more than one treatment, depending on its appearance and depth.

Keep the site clean and follow the dressing instructions given at the visit. Do not pick the crust, scratch the area or use irritating products until the surface has closed. Protect healed skin from sunlight, especially on the face, because inflammation can leave a darker or lighter mark. Arrange a review if the growth seems to remain after healing; a changing or uncertain growth may need assessment before further treatment.

Contact the treating clinician if pain, warmth, swelling, redness or drainage is increasing instead of settling, or if bleeding does not stop with gentle pressure. Seek prompt assessment for a fever, spreading redness, or a lesion that changes in colour, shape or behaviour. These findings do not establish a diagnosis, but they should not be attributed to normal healing without examination.

Ask whether the diagnosis was confirmed clinically, how deep the treatment is expected to be, what dressing to use, and when the site should be reviewed if the mark or growth persists.