Seborrheic Keratosis Treatment

Seborrheic keratosis is a common non-cancerous skin growth that appears as wart-like or slightly elevated lesions on the skin. These growths are typically brown, black, or light tan in color and have a waxy, scaly, or slightly elevated surface. Seborrheic keratoses develop due to an overgrowth of keratinocytes, the skin cells that produce keratin. While the exact cause of seborrheic keratoses is not fully understood, they are more common in older adults, and their prevalence increases with age. These growths are typically found on areas of the body with frequent sun exposure, such as the face, chest, back, and shoulders.

If you suspect you have a seborrheic keratosis and would like to be treated, then cryotherapy may be suitable for you.

What is a typical treatment?

We use a Cryopen, a medical device that uses controlled sprays of nitrous oxide gas to freeze the seborrheic keratosis. This causes the cells in the lesion to die and over the coming days the seborrheic keratosis will scab and naturally fall off. Cryotherapy works well on these lesions however larger lesions may require several treatments to be fully removed. Your clinician will discuss this with you at your appointment.