Learn About Seborrheic Keratosis
Seborrheic keratosis is a condition that causes colored growths on the skin that sometimes resemble warts. The growths are noncancerous (benign).
Benign skin tumors - keratosis; Keratosis - seborrheic; Senile keratosis; Senile verruca
A seborrheic keratosis is a benign form of skin tumor. The cause is unknown.
The condition commonly appears after age 40. It tends to run in families.
Symptoms of seborrheic keratosis are skin growths that:
- Are located on the face, chest, shoulders, back, or other areas, except the lips, palms, and soles
- Are painless, but may become irritated and itchy
- Are most often tan, brown, or black
- Have a slightly raised, flat surface
- May have a rough texture (like a wart)
- Often have a waxy surface
- Are round or oval
- May look like a piece of bee's wax that has been pasted-on the skin
- Often appear in clusters
You generally do not need treatment unless growths get irritated or affect your appearance.
Growths may be removed with surgery or freezing (cryotherapy).
Philip Cohen is a Dermatologist in National City, California. Dr. Cohen and is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Seborrheic Keratosis. His top areas of expertise are Seborrheic Keratosis, Basal Cell Skin Cancer, Pyogenic Granuloma, Tissue Biopsy, and Laminectomy.
The Skin Wellness Center
Kimberly Grande is a Dermatologist in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Grande and is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Seborrheic Keratosis. Her top areas of expertise are Seborrheic Keratosis, Warts, Rosacea, and Actinic Keratosis. Dr. Grande is currently accepting new patients.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Suffolk At Hauppauge
Ashfaq Marghoob is a Dermatologist in Hauppauge, New York. Dr. Marghoob and is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Seborrheic Keratosis. His top areas of expertise are Basal Cell Skin Cancer, Melanoma, Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma Syndrome, and Seborrheic Keratosis.
Removing the growths is simple and generally does not cause scars. You may have patches of lighter skin where growths on the torso have been removed.
Growths usually do not return after they are removed. You may develop more growths in the future if you are prone to the condition.
These complications may occur:
- Irritation, bleeding, or discomfort of growths
- Mistake in diagnosis (growths may look like skin cancers)
- Distress due to physical appearance
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of seborrheic keratosis.
Also contact if you have new symptoms, such as:
- A change in the appearance of the skin growth
- New growths
- A growth that looks like seborrheic keratosis, but occurs by itself or has ragged borders and irregular color. Your provider will need to examine it for skin cancer.
Summary: Open-Label study evaluating safety and efficacy of SM-020 Gel 1.0% in subjects with Seborrheic Keratoses and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers (i.e. Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Situ). Subjects will be enrolled into 1 of 5 cohorts. Each cohort will enroll approximately 5-10 subjects with at least 1 eligible lesion to be treated. A maximum of 5 lesions may be enrolled per subject. Tr...
Summary: The objective of the trial is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SM-020 gel 1.0% in subjects with Seborrheic Keratosis (SK) compared to vehicle gel. It is a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial. Approximately 60 subjects will be enrolled. Subjects will apply their assigned investigational product twice daily for 4 consecutive weeks. Subjects will be followed for 12-weeks post fin...
Published Date: October 13, 2024
Published By: Ramin Fathi, MD, FAAD, Director, Phoenix Surgical Dermatology Group, Phoenix, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM. Epidermal nevi, neoplasms, and cysts. In: James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM, eds. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 29.
Patterson JW. Tumors of the epidermis. In: Patterson JW, ed. Weedon's Skin Pathology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Limited; 2021:chap 32.
Requena L, Requena C, Cockerell CJ. Benign epidermal tumors and proliferations. In: Bolognia JL, Schaffer JV, Cerroni L, eds. Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 109.