Seborrheic Keratoses

Seborrheic keratoses are tan, beige, brown, or black growths on the skin that can look like big warts.

• Seborrheic keratoses are harmless growths that are common among middle-aged and older people

• They aren't cancerous and don’t become cancerous

• Sometimes they itch a little, but they don't hurt

• If they bother you, the doctor can remove them by freezing or using an electric needle

Some people get many growths.

Seborrheic Keratosis

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Image provided by Thomas Habif, MD.

Doctors don’t know what causes seborrheic keratoses, but they run in families.

Seborrheic keratoses:

• Are round or oval-shaped

• Are tan, beige, brown, or black

• Look like they’re stuck on the skin

• Usually feel waxy, scaly, or wart-like

• Show up anywhere on the body, but most often on the temples, chest, back, and belly

Dark-skinned people sometimes get a large number of growths on their cheeks, along the cheekbone.

Dark brown seborrheic keratoses may be mistaken for moles or a skin cancer called melanoma.

Seborrheic keratoses don’t need treatment.

If they get irritated, itchy, or you don’t like how they look, doctors can remove them:

• By freezing them with liquid nitrogen

• Using an electric needle