A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in skin and skin-related diseases. They are generally most concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect patients’ skins such as eczema, Seborrheic keratosis, psoriasis, and even skin cancer.
What is seborrheic keratosis
Dermatologists say that seborrheic keratoses is a skin condition that is also referred to as senile wart, it is a growth or a patch on the skin on the back, face, or chest which is usually dark brown or black in color and mostly affects people from middle age onwards.
Causes of seborrheic keratosis
Although there are no clear causes of this condition, it tends to be genetic because it mostly runs in families but it is not contagious and cannot spread to other parts of the body or other people.
Diagnosis of seborrheic keratosis
Dermatologists can tell if your skin is affected by seborrheic keratosis by merely looking at it. Sometimes Seborrheic keratoses can resemble skin cancer. Symptoms of seborrheic keratosis include
- A wart-like growth appears on the face, shoulder, or back.
- Itchiness
How to get rid of seborrheic keratosis
Dermatologists state that although seborrheic keratoses are harmless and not life-threatening some sort of treatment can be administered by a dermatologist especially when it looks cancerous, makes the patient uncomfortable, or gets irritated easily by shaving off the growth with a blade.
Home remedies such as the use of apple cider could also be used as a form of treatment and also use prescribed creams or ointments. However, avoid long-term exposure to excessive sunlight, use sunscreen to protect your skin can help prevent this skin disease.
Treatment
Dermatologists advise you not to scrape the growth by yourself but to see a doctor because cancer can easily be taken for seborrheic keratosis, and tempering with a cancerous cell could lead to more complications. Some professional ways of treating the condition include:
- Cryotherapy: In this case, the dermatologist uses a cotton swab to apply liquid nitrogen onto the growth and within a few days the growth falls off.
- Electrosurgery and curettage: Electrosurgery; In this case, the growth is numbed and destroyed using an anesthetic and electric current. Curettage; after it has been destroyed, a curette will be used to scrape it off
- Ablation: This is using a laser to vaporize the growth.
After the growth has been removed using whatever method, the part of the skin on which the growth always remained lighter than the other parts.
Best dermatologist in Charlotte
Dermatologists at DSCMD are specialized in providing the best care for your hair, nails, and skin-related complications. Contact Dermatology Specialists of Charlotte, Charlotte’s top Ballantyne and Blakeney Dermatologist, for your dermatology care.