Seborrheic keratosis pictures of scalp. Seborrheic Keratosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

02.09.202306.07.2023 by alexxlab

What are seborrheic keratoses. How do seborrheic keratoses develop. Can seborrheic keratoses be prevented. What treatment options are available for seborrheic keratoses. Are seborrheic keratoses cancerous. How are seborrheic keratoses diagnosed. When should you see a doctor for seborrheic keratoses.

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Understanding Seborrheic Keratosis: A Common Skin Condition

Seborrheic keratosis is a benign skin growth that commonly appears as people age. These growths, often referred to as wisdom spots or age spots, can develop on various parts of the body, including the scalp, face, chest, and back. Despite their sometimes alarming appearance, seborrheic keratoses are harmless and do not pose a health risk.

Are seborrheic keratoses cancerous? No, seborrheic keratoses are entirely benign growths. They do not develop into skin cancer and are not associated with an increased risk of malignancy. However, their appearance can sometimes mimic that of more serious skin conditions, which is why proper diagnosis by a dermatologist is crucial.

Identifying Seborrheic Keratosis: Appearance and Characteristics

Seborrheic keratoses have distinct features that set them apart from other skin growths. They typically appear as:

Round or oval-shaped lesions
Waxy or scaly in texture
Light tan to dark brown in color
Slightly raised from the skin surface
Varying in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters

How do seborrheic keratoses develop? These growths form when keratinocytes, the cells that make up the outer layer of skin, begin to multiply excessively. This process is influenced by various factors, including genetics, age, and sun exposure.

Causes and Risk Factors of Seborrheic Keratosis

While the exact cause of seborrheic keratosis remains unclear, several factors have been identified as potential contributors:

Age: Seborrheic keratoses are more common in older adults, typically appearing after the age of 50.
Genetics: A family history of seborrheic keratosis increases the likelihood of developing these growths.
Sun exposure: Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation may play a role in their formation.
Hormonal changes: Fluctuations in hormone levels, particularly during pregnancy, may trigger their growth.

Can seborrheic keratoses be prevented? While it’s not always possible to prevent seborrheic keratoses entirely, certain measures may help reduce their occurrence or progression:

Limiting sun exposure and using broad-spectrum sunscreen
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise
Avoiding excessive use of harsh skincare products
Managing stress levels, which may impact overall skin health

Diagnosing Seborrheic Keratosis: Professional Evaluation

How are seborrheic keratoses diagnosed? Dermatologists typically diagnose seborrheic keratosis through a visual examination and, if necessary, a skin biopsy. The diagnostic process may involve:

Physical examination: The dermatologist will carefully inspect the growth, noting its size, color, and texture.
Dermoscopy: This non-invasive technique uses a special magnifying device to examine the skin lesion in detail.
Skin biopsy: In cases where the diagnosis is uncertain, a small sample of the growth may be removed and examined under a microscope.

When should you see a doctor for seborrheic keratoses? It’s advisable to consult a dermatologist if you notice:

Rapid changes in size, shape, or color of existing growths
Itching, bleeding, or pain associated with the lesions
Multiple new growths appearing in a short period
Any growth that causes concern or impacts your quality of life

Treatment Options for Seborrheic Keratosis

What treatment options are available for seborrheic keratoses? While treatment is not medically necessary for these benign growths, some individuals may opt for removal for cosmetic reasons or if the lesions cause discomfort. Common treatment methods include:

1. Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy involves freezing the growth with liquid nitrogen, causing it to blister and eventually fall off. This method is quick and effective but may cause temporary skin discoloration.

2. Electrocautery

In this procedure, an electric current is used to burn off the growth. It’s precise but may require local anesthesia and can leave a small scar.

3. Curettage

The dermatologist uses a special instrument called a curette to scrape off the growth. This method is often combined with electrocautery for better results.

4. Laser therapy

Advanced laser treatments can effectively remove seborrheic keratoses with minimal scarring. This option is particularly useful for larger or multiple growths.

5. Topical treatments

Certain prescription creams or solutions containing hydrogen peroxide or alpha-hydroxy acids may be used to gradually remove the growths over time.

Living with Seborrheic Keratosis: Self-Care and Management

For those who choose not to undergo treatment or are waiting for a dermatologist appointment, there are several self-care measures that can help manage seborrheic keratosis:

Gentle cleansing: Use mild, non-irritating soaps and avoid scrubbing the affected areas.
Moisturizing: Keep the skin well-hydrated to prevent dryness and itching.
Sun protection: Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to prevent further sun damage and potential growth of new lesions.
Avoid picking: Resist the urge to scratch or pick at the growths, as this can lead to infection or scarring.
Clothing choices: Wear loose-fitting clothes to minimize friction on affected areas, especially if the growths are in areas prone to rubbing.

How can you differentiate seborrheic keratosis from other skin conditions? While seborrheic keratoses have distinct characteristics, they can sometimes be confused with other skin growths. Here’s a comparison to help distinguish them:

Condition	Appearance	Texture	Color
Seborrheic Keratosis	Waxy, raised lesions	Scaly or rough	Light tan to dark brown
Melanoma	Irregular borders, asymmetrical	Smooth or rough	Various colors, often with multiple shades
Actinic Keratosis	Flat or slightly raised patches	Rough, scaly	Red, pink, or skin-colored
Warts	Raised, rough bumps	Cauliflower-like surface	Skin-colored or slightly darker

Psychological Impact and Cosmetic Concerns

While seborrheic keratoses are medically harmless, their appearance can sometimes cause psychological distress or self-consciousness, particularly when they occur in visible areas like the face or hands. It’s important to address these concerns:

Open communication with healthcare providers about cosmetic worries
Exploring non-invasive coverage options such as makeup or concealer
Seeking support from support groups or counseling if the condition significantly impacts self-esteem
Education about the benign nature of the condition to alleviate anxiety

How can you cope with the emotional aspects of having seborrheic keratosis? Here are some strategies:

Focus on overall skin health rather than individual growths
Practice positive self-talk and affirmations
Engage in activities that boost confidence and self-esteem
Connect with others who have similar experiences for mutual support

Future Developments in Seborrheic Keratosis Management

Research in dermatology continues to explore new and improved methods for managing seborrheic keratosis. Some areas of ongoing investigation include:

Development of targeted topical treatments with fewer side effects
Advanced imaging techniques for more accurate diagnosis
Genetic studies to better understand hereditary factors
Novel non-invasive removal techniques

What can we expect in the future for seborrheic keratosis treatment? While it’s difficult to predict specific breakthroughs, the trend is moving towards more personalized, less invasive, and more effective management strategies. Patients can look forward to potentially having a wider range of treatment options and improved cosmetic outcomes in the coming years.

Seborrheic Keratosis in Special Populations

Certain groups may require special considerations when it comes to seborrheic keratosis:

Elderly Patients

Older adults are more likely to develop multiple seborrheic keratoses. Management in this population often focuses on:

Regular skin checks to monitor for changes
Gentle skincare routines to avoid irritation
Considering quality of life impact when deciding on treatment

Pregnant Women

Hormonal changes during pregnancy can sometimes trigger the growth of seborrheic keratoses. Special considerations include:

Avoiding certain treatments that may not be safe during pregnancy
Monitoring for changes post-pregnancy
Emphasizing sun protection to prevent new growths

Individuals with Compromised Immune Systems

Those with weakened immune systems may be more prone to skin changes and should be vigilant about:

Regular dermatological check-ups
Promptly reporting any new or changing skin growths
Taking extra precautions to prevent skin infections

How does the management of seborrheic keratosis differ in these special populations? The approach is typically more cautious, with a greater emphasis on monitoring and non-invasive treatments. Healthcare providers must carefully weigh the benefits and risks of various interventions based on the individual’s overall health status and specific circumstances.

Integrating Seborrheic Keratosis Management into Overall Skin Health

Managing seborrheic keratosis should be part of a comprehensive approach to skin health. This includes:

Regular skin examinations: Perform self-checks and schedule annual dermatologist visits.
Sun protection: Use broad-spectrum sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and avoid peak sun hours.
Healthy lifestyle choices: Maintain a balanced diet, stay hydrated, and manage stress levels.
Proper skincare routine: Use gentle, non-irritating products suitable for your skin type.
Education: Stay informed about skin health and various dermatological conditions.

How can you incorporate seborrheic keratosis awareness into your daily skin care routine? Consider these tips:

Use a mirror to check hard-to-see areas during your skincare routine
Apply sunscreen to all exposed skin, including areas with seborrheic keratoses
Be gentle when cleansing areas with growths to avoid irritation
Keep a skin diary to track any changes in existing growths or the appearance of new ones

By taking a proactive approach to skin health, individuals can effectively manage seborrheic keratosis while maintaining overall dermatological well-being. Remember, while seborrheic keratoses are benign, any concerns about skin changes should be promptly discussed with a healthcare professional to ensure proper diagnosis and management.

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Seborrhoeic keratoses

Seborrhoeic keratosis

Seborrheic Keratosis Condition, Treatments and Pictures for Adults

Who’s At Risk?

Seborrheic keratoses can occur any time after puberty, and almost everyone older than 50 has one or more of these skin growths. They may increase in number with age. Members of the same family can have an inherited tendency to grow multiple seborrheic keratoses. Men and women are equally as likely to develop them. People with darker skin colors tend to develop seborrheic keratoses less frequently than those with lighter skin colors.

Signs & Symptoms

Seborrheic keratoses can occur anywhere on the body, except for the palms, soles, and mucous membranes (areas such as in the mouth or anus). They most commonly occur on the chest and back. Seborrheic keratoses do not go away on their own, and they do not become cancerous.

They usually start as light brown or skin-colored, slightly raised areas, which can be round or oval and of varying size (usually smaller than a thumbnail, but sometimes much larger). As they grow thicker, seborrheic keratoses may become dark brown to almost black and appear to be “stuck on” to the surface of the skin. The surface may feel smooth or rough. In lighter skin colors, they may be pink or any shade of brown. In darker skin colors, they may be any shade of brown, purple, gray, or blackish.

Self-Care Guidelines

No treatment is needed unless there is irritation from clothing, such as itching or bleeding.

Note that:

There is no way to prevent new seborrheic keratoses from forming.
Some lotions containing alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, or urea may make the areas feel smoother with regular use but will not eliminate them.
Over-the-counter freezing techniques are available but are usually not effective.

Treatments

Removal can be accomplished with freezing (cryosurgery), scraping (curettage), burning (electrocautery), lasers, or acids. Your dermatologist or other medical professional might conduct a biopsy if the growth looks unusual.

Visit Urgency

If a lesion on your skin is growing, bleeding, painful, or itchy, see your dermatologist or another medical professional. Similarly, consult a medical professional for any growth that is more than one color, that is dark brown or black, or that looks different than any of your other skin growths.

Seborrheic keratoses can be removed, but removal is considered a cosmetic issue and is usually not covered by insurance.

Trusted Links

MedlinePlus: Skin Conditions
Clinical Information and Differential Diagnosis of Keratosis, Seborrheic

References

Bolognia J, Schaffer JV, Cerroni L. Dermatology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018.

James WD, Elston D, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA. Andrew’s Diseases of the Skin. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019.

Kang S, Amagai M, Bruckner AL, et al. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology. 9th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2019.

Last modified on May 30th, 2023 at 2:11 pm

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Derma Clinic Riga – Seborrheic keratosis

Seborrheic keratosis

What is this?

Seborrheic keratosis, or basal cell papilloma (it is also called “senile keratosis”) is a benign superficial skin formation. These are common skin lesions that occur in approximately 30% of patients over 40 years of age, and up to 75% of patients around 70 years of age. Sometimes found in young people. Sometimes these are separate formations, but some people have them in very large quantities (up to several hundred). For health, these neoplasms are not harmful, not contagious to other people, and do not transform into malignant tumors.

What causes seborrheic keratosis?

Despite the name, there is no connection with seborrhea and the sebaceous glands found in the skin. The reason for their occurrence is unknown. In some people, their appearance can be associated with prolonged exposure to the sun and activation in the body of the human papillomavirus (HPV, human papilloma virus – HPV ). Also, some patients have a genetic predisposition to the formation of seborrheic keratoses.

What are the symptoms and how to recognize?

In typical cases, seborrheic keratoses do not show any symptoms, except for visually noticeable skin formations. Sometimes they can cause itching, depending on the location, they can be injured by clothing and become inflamed. Mostly people do not like the appearance of these formations, especially if they are located on open areas of the skin.

Seborrheic keratosis is characterized by:

rough, keratinized surface;
color from light brown to almost black;
an increase in small, flat seborrheic keratoses in size and thickness;
localization in the chest, abdomen, back, neck and face.

How is seborrheic keratosis diagnosed?

Seborrheic keratoses are much more common than malignant skin tumors, but be aware that dark seborrheic keratoses can look like melanoma. With the help of dermatoscopy, all pigmented formations on the skin should be examined so that the diagnosis is made correctly.

How to remove tumors?

There are various methods for eliminating seborrheic keratoses, but none of them excludes the emergence of new formations.

Given the prevalence of keratoses and their benign nature, treatment is primarily cosmetic. If the formations are regularly injured, then it is recommended to get rid of them.

The most commonly used methods for the elimination of seborrheic keratoses:

cryodestruction (freezing with liquid nitrogen). Within 1-2 weeks after the procedure, the formations are exfoliated from the surface of the skin;
laser destruction. Depending on the size of the removed formations, the procedure is performed under local anesthesia or without anesthesia;
surgical excision (removal) – if during a clinical study it is not possible to exclude the likelihood of developing a malignant process (difficulty determining differences from a malignant tumor).

Prophylaxis:

there are no such means of prevention that would exclude the occurrence of seborrheic keratoses;
pay close attention to any skin growths that increase in size, bleed, change in any way. Ask your loved ones for help in assessing skin changes on the back.

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Keratosis: signs, symptoms and treatment

Keratoses (keratoderma, keratodermatosis) are a group of dermatological pathologies characterized by a violation of the normal process of keratinization of the epidermis. A patient suffering from a disease is faced with the formation of foci of rough skin on the body and limbs. Often zones of dermatosis appear on the palms and soles – relatively large areas of the dermis, devoid of sebaceous glands. The clinical picture of the pathology depends on the form of keratoderma that has developed in a child or adult.

General

Keratoderma can occur in acute or chronic forms. Based on histological analyzes of biomaterials of children and adults, doctors determine the nature of dermatoses, referring them to acquired or hereditary pathologies. The disease affecting the skin of the patient does not have a pronounced seasonality. A significant influence on the likelihood of developing a pathological process in the cells of the epidermis is exerted by race, gender, age and region of residence of a person.

Classification of keratoderma

Dermatologists distinguish three main types of keratoses:

follicular,
seborrheic,
actinic.

Dermatoses of the first type are the result of the formation of horny plugs in the mouths of the hair follicles. Seborrheic keratoderma are neoplasms in the form of nodules or plaques, painted in brown or black. Actinic keratosis is a disease that occurs in people over 60 years of age. Dermatoses of this form look like a cluster of small scaly spots.

Etiology of disease

The reasons for the development of keratoderma are diverse. Pathology can develop against the background of endocrine disorders, viral or bacterial infections, malignant neoplasms. Excessive insolation has a significant impact on the condition of the skin of children and adults. Often, pathological processes are the result of an insufficiently varied diet of the patient.

External and internal factors lead to changes in the well-established process of reproduction of epidermal cells. In the body of a healthy person, dead skin particles undergo keratinization and exfoliate. These scales are saturated with keratin and practically devoid of moisture. Keratodermatosis provokes a doubling of the growth rate of epidermal cells. The structures of the dermis of the previous generation do not have time to go through a full life cycle. Because of this, a dense plate is formed on the surface of the skin from a mixture of cells and keratin.

Symptoms of pathology

The symptoms of keratosis correspond to the form of the disease from which the patient suffers. Common signs of keratoderma of all forms are well-marked keratinization foci and excessive skin flaking. Primary neoplasms on the surface of the epidermis have different sizes, shapes and colors. Often the first manifestation of pathology is a red rash. As symptoms increase, the elements merge with each other and form a continuous hyperkeratotic surface. Typical localization sites of seborrheic keratosis are the face, neck and scalp. Follicular dermatitis often develops on the body and lower extremities. The actinic type of pathology affects the skin of the neck, back and arms.

The pathological process can proceed in dry and wet forms. In the first case, dehydrated epidermal cells form a hard, inelastic surface, which is covered with cracks. Skin flakes with residual moisture can cause erosion and weeping. In this case, a secondary infection joins the primary pathology. The launched inflammatory process can become chronic – the patient will suffer from periodic relapses.

Diagnostic measures

Confirmation of the diagnosis is performed by a dermatologist based on the clinical picture of the pathology and histological analysis data. A laboratory study of skin scrapings obtained by a doctor during an examination of a child or adult allows you to establish the form of keratosis and determine the causes of the development of the disease. Differential diagnosis gives dermatologists the opportunity to exclude seborrhea, psoriasis, lichen planus, Bowen’s disease, melanoma, and basal cell skin cancer from the patient’s history.

Therapeutic course

Treatment methods for keratosis are determined by a dermatologist based on the symptoms identified in the patient and the results of a clinical and laboratory examination. Drug therapy allows you to achieve a quick effect with a small area of skin lesions. A child or an adult is prescribed preparations based on fluorouracil – ointments or gels.

The threat of malignant degeneration of neoplasms and the development of a secondary infection in a patient can be a reason for doctors to choose radical methods of treating keratosis. Most often, dermatologists resort to cryo-, radio- or electrical destruction. Surgical removal of keratoderma foci is carried out in the chronic course of the disease and the absence of signs of tissue malignancy.

Forecast and preventive measures

Patients who seek medical help in a timely manner can expect a full recovery. The dermatologist will form a treatment plan that will prevent the transition of the disease to the chronic stage. The neglected course of dermatoses can lead to malignant degeneration of foci of pathology or the addition of secondary bacterial infections to keratosis.

Prevention of pathology involves the observance by patients of precautionary measures during their stay on the street. Excessive insolation often causes disruption of the normal processes of skin keratinization. The use of sunscreens will minimize the risk of formation of cellular keratin plaques.

Diagnosis and treatment of keratosis in Moscow

JSC “Medicina” (clinic of Academician Roitberg) has all the necessary equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of keratoses in children and adults.