Seborrheic Keratosis

Treatment Overview

Seborrheic keratoses do not require treatment because they are not cancerous or otherwise damaging to your health. But if a seborrheic keratosis causes pain and discomfort or causes you concern about how it looks, your doctor can remove it.

Your treatment choices are:

• Cryotherapy, the use of extreme cold. It works well for flat or slightly raised growths, but it may not work well for thicker growths.
• Curettage, in which your doctor uses a spoon-shaped instrument (curette) to remove the growth. Regrowth is common after curettage alone.
• Electrocautery (or electrodesiccation), which sends a low-voltage electrical charge through the tip of a needle to burn off a growth. This treatment is sometimes combined with curettage.
• Surgical excision, the removal of the growth with a scalpel after your doctor injects a local anesthetic.
• Laser, an intense beam of light that burns and destroys the growth.

What To Think About

Your doctor can tell you which treatments are best for your seborrheic keratosis, based on its type, size, and location. Be aware that your health insurance may view seborrheic keratosis removal as an elective procedure.

After a seborrheic keratosis is removed, the wound may be painful for a few days. Your doctor will tell you how to care for the wound as it heals. You may need to clean the area regularly and apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.

Removal of seborrheic keratoses is usually done in a way to minimize scarring. Cryotherapy, electrocautery, or laser treatment may cause permanent lightening of darker skin. Factors that may slow healing include advanced age, sun damage, and tobacco smoking.

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Author:	Bets Davis, MFA	Last Updated: February 26, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology
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