Keratosis - what is it and how to remove it?

What is a seborrheic keratosis and how to remove it? Experts at “Diva” Clinic recommend the radio-wave surgery as one of the best methods for keratosis removal. With radio-wave method, there is a less chance for recurrence of keratosis comparing to other techniques.

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What is a seborrheic keratosis?

Keratosis or seborrheic keratosis is common brown-yellowish skin lesion, with rough structure, occurring to the patients who are around 50 years old. These are benign skin growths that represent the genetic material mutation, an excessive magnification of pigment cells in the outermost layer of the skin.

Keratosis is common in seborrheic areas of the face, chest, and back, but can also occur on belly and skin folds. Itching is the most common symptom in seborrheic areas, but redness and humidity of the skin can occur as well. Keratosis can be extremely annoying when it is located in a places with frequent exposure to irritation.

Keratosis can’t occur on palms, soles and mucous membranes.

With radio-wave surgery, there is a less chance for recurrence of keratosis comparing to other techniques.

How to identify keratosis?

In the beginning, they are smooth, with round or oval shape, with yellowish or brownish color.

Over the time, they change from soft, light yellowish to hard and darker skin lesions. Their size can be from several mm to several cm. Then the keratosis is a rough, grainy surface (cracked skin look), with a greasy keratin mass – scrum, which can be easily removed.

Melanin can be present in all layers of the epidermis, which is why patients often mistaken it for a mole, and they visit dermatologist at the stage when changes are multiple, widespread and harder, making it difficult for removal and a better aesthetic result.

It is better to remove keratoses while they are smaller because they tend to spread and form keratotic plaques, that can reach a size of 20 to 30mm in diameter.

It is important to know that keratoses are constantly enlarging and multiplying.

Who has seborrheic keratosis?

Keratosis more often occur to people with frequent exposure to the sun. People with a higher number of keratoses are not more prone to developing melanoma than those who do not have them. However, a large number of keratoses, several dozen or hundreds in one place, can mask moles in that part of the skin, so it is harder to see if changes occur on them. That is why it is very important to visit dermatologist on a regular basis.

Although seborrheic keratoses occur in individuals of both sexes, they are more common in women of the elderly population. Young people are prone to these skin changes as well.

How is seborrheic keratosis diagnosed?

Expert in dermatology can determine by clinical examination is it a keratosis, and then a dermoscopy confirms the diagnosis, which is especially important to do before removing the skin change.

At the “Diva” Clinic, experts in dermatology use a modern MoleMax dermoscopic appliance that allows them to quickly and painlessly identify what changes have occurred on the skin and to monitor them for further mutation over time.

How to remove keratosis?

Keratosis can’t be removed with medicaments, creams, and lotions. You need to visit expert in dermatology to remove it.

The reasons for the keratosis removal are different: from aesthetic to practical reasons. For example, when the skin growth is in a “tricky” place on the skin, exposed to constant irritation.

There are several ways to eliminate keratosis:

surgical intervention,
radio-wave surgical method,
cryosurgery,
electrocoagulation,
curettage.

Which method is the best for keratosis removal?

Liquid nitrogen treatment is very slow method with high recurrence rates.

Electrocoagulation and curettage very often lead to scars, and keratosis can occur even worse than before the removal.

Surgical interventions have been proven to be one of the best methods for the removal of larger keratosis. For smaller keratosis, radio-wave surgery is among the best options.

Why keratosis removal by radio-waves?

The radio-wave surgery is a great method for keratosis removal because it has less recurrences than other techniques, with almost or completely without scarring.

Radio-wave therapy is:

very comfortable,
effective,
painless (anesthetic cream is used),
and very short – lasts 20 to 40 seconds per skin change.

If keratosis is removed on time, patient can avoid enlargement and spreading.