If we were to tell you that you have “Seborrheic Keratosis” you may cringe or think that it’s a lot more severe than it is. The great news about Seborrheic Keratosis is that it is nothing to be afraid of because it’s just a benign skin condition, but it’s one that we see a lot of patients for. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the basics.
What Are They?
Before you freak out, it’s nice to know what Seborrheic Keratosis is. These are scaly, light brown or tan patches on the skin. They can be either small or large.
Are they dangerous?
As previously mentioned, the great news about them is that they are non-cancerous. Although SK’s may not be the most attractive thing, they aren’t harmful.
What are they caused by?
People often assume that SK’s are caused by sun exposure and sun damage, but that’s actually not the case. Sunspots are another type of skin condition that is caused by sun damage, but they were different than SK’s. Nobody knows the real cause of them.
Who Is More Prone to Getting Them?
Typically, we see elderly patients or patients who are middle-aged with more SK’s than those who are younger. One thing to know about them, though, is that they can be genetic, so if your family members have them, you are more likely to get them as well.
How Are They Treated?
It used to be that the only real way to treat S s was to either freeze them off or cut them off, but the problem with those treatments is that they would leave patients with scars. Now we have a different treatment called Eskata that we can use on the skin.
Eskata is a hydrogen peroxide-based treatment at Dr. Stockton will gently apply to the skin. In one procedure, she will apply it about four times. After it a couple of weeks, the SK will scab and ultimately fall off. During your follow up appointment with Dr. Stockton, she will make sure that hit has fallen off cop lately and that everything is healing well.
Do you want to get rid of your SK’s? Contact our Phoenix office today and give us a call at (480) 610-6366.