What should you know about skin seborrheic keratosis?

These growths can be tan, brown, grey or almost black. Their surface may be smooth, waxy, scaly or warty, and they can occur on the trunk, face, scalp or limbs. Some are flat while others project from the skin. They are not contagious and are not the same as a wart caused by a virus. Because some serious lesions can resemble a seborrheic keratosis, appearance alone is not always enough for a reliable diagnosis.

Leave an uncomplicated growth alone if it causes no symptoms. Avoid scratching or trying to cut it off. If it catches on clothing, bleeds after repeated friction or is cosmetically bothersome, a clinician can discuss Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal), Curettage And Cautery or Electrosurgery. The selected method depends on the growth’s thickness, site, colour and diagnostic certainty. Follow the wound-care instructions given after treatment.

Book an assessment for a growth that is new, rapidly changing, very dark, irregular, persistently itchy, painful, crusted or bleeding without clear friction. Seek prompt review if a treated area becomes increasingly red, swollen, hot or pus-filled. Do not rely on online images to label a changing lesion.

Ask how confident the diagnosis is, whether any tissue needs laboratory examination, which removal option fits the site, and what changes should prompt a return visit.