While most dermatologists will usually leave a seborrheic keratosis alone because it is a benign growth, there are times when when cosmetically you may want to treat it; or, the SK may be in a location where it rubs and require treatment. Here are some of the ways a seborrheic keratosis can be treated, under the care of a qualified dermatologist.
The first is the simple curettage, which is a small surgical procedure in which the dermatologist uses a local anesthetic and a small, spoon-shaped currette to remove the growth. This procedure works quickly, but the keratosis usually comes back.
The next form of seborrheic keratosis treatment is using electrodessication. In this procedure, a dermatologist again uses a small local and heats the seborrheic keratosis with a small electrical current and removes it in this manner. This will require several days of recuperation and keeping the wound clean.
The next form of treatment for seborrheic keratosis is a combination of curettage and electrodessication where the dermatologist uses a small curette and then not only heats the keratosis but also uses a current to remove it.
Another way to remove seborrheic keratosis is cryotherapy where a dermatologist uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and remove the Seb K. This works with pretty good results. Cryotherapy, by the way, since it uses cold is usually done directly with a minimum of anesthetic, if any is used at all. This is because the cold, itself, acts as an analgesic.
Perhaps the most radical form of treatment is surgical. This is often used where the keratosis is large and deep and the dermatologist determines that the best way to remove it is through the use of standard surgery. In this surgery, a local anesthetic is used and the keratosis is excised. The procedure only takes a few minutes but the result is that you must care by constantly changing the dressings and with anti-bacterials. This method is the most likely to leave a large scar.
Seborrheic keratoses are often best left alone as they are a development of age and the result of the damage that exposure to the sun has done to your skin. If you must treat it at all there are two cautions you should heed and one is that it must be more than simply a cosmetic procedure, unless you need it for your work or life, and the second is that it should be painful or represent a necessity before a seborrheic keratosis is removed. Removal of a seborrheic keratosis for cosmetic reasons will not be covered by medical insurance. Always remember that these growths are benign and unlikely to be cancerous.
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