If you’ve been finding small, rough areas that are slightly ‘waxy’ looking and have slightly raised surfaces on your body, you’re certainly not alone. Men and women often visit our clinic complaining of these spots that crop up in places like their chest, scalp, shoulders, back, or abdomen. These spots that are round or oval in shape and are usually brown in color are called seborrheic keratosis. More than anything, however, most people don’t like how they look and want to know how to get rid of them.
Seborrheic Keratosis is a type of skin growth and while they can be unsightly, the growths are not harmful. However, because it can be difficult to differentiate from melanoma, a serious skin cancer, you should have it looked at by a doctor.
What Causes Seborrheic Keratosis?
The growths will start out as small, rough bumps but over time will become thicker and develop a warty type surface. Some people describe these spots as being ‘stuck’ to their skin. While doctors are not certain as to why seborrheic keratosis develop, some possible causes are exposure to sunlight, genetics and age. While most people aren’t thrilled to discover these growths, the good news is that most can be managed or even removed with professional skin care treatments and products.
How to Treat these Spots
In most cases, it’s possible to exfoliate these round or oval spots and remove the rough dead skin cells and smooth the skin. After exfoliation, applying a quality alpha hydroxy product is beneficial. While some people will be able to entirely remove the spots using this method, others will be able to reduce their appearance. Seborrheic keratosis can also be removed with a laser. An intense beam of light will destroy the growth.
Seborrheic keratosis is a common, harmless growth that appears on the skin of at least thirty percentage of those over 40 years of age. The lesions are not painful but can be annoying or embarrassing and can be removed. If you have questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact the professional staff at Laser and Skin Care Medspa. Set up a FREE consultation for your skin care concerns by calling the Medspa at (403) 347-8050.
