Seborrheic keratosis is a skin growth that usually appears in middle-aged and older adults. It is non-contagious and benign. Some people get just one but it is common to have many. It starts as slightly raised light brown spots and particularly small in size, gradually thicken and becomes warty and rough. Over the time, they may slowly become dark in color and turn black. Changing the color of these skin growths is not a cause for concern and has various size ranges from pea size to a rupee coin. These growths can appear almost anywhere on the skin of the body but not on the palms or soles. They are superficial in nature and appear as if stuck on the skin. They may cause no pain but some may itch. In general, these skin growths do not need to get treated but removal becomes important when the growth becomes large which causes discomfort and irritation when clothes or jewelry rub against it or when unsightly to the patient. Do not try to scratch or remove a seborrheic keratosis yourself as there is a risk of infection. Treatments available to treat these skin growths include Electrosurgery (electrocautery) or laser ablation which involves numbing the growth with an anesthetic and using an electric current to cauterize (burn) it.
