Treatment of Seborrhoeic Keratoses

Traditionally skin lumps and bumps are removed by surgical incision, usually under local anaesthetic.

Unfortunately this leaves a noticeable scar and requires several weeks to heal. There is also a risk of infection in the wound.

Often when people present to their GP, they are told to forget about it and leave it alone, have it removed surgically or even have it destroyed by freezing with liquid nitrogen.

Fortunately a more successful approach at removing them has been developed using 'Electro Micro Surgery (EMS) previously known as Advanced Electrolysis

There is an emerging brand of practitioner called electrologists who are very skilled at using electrolysis to remove this kind of skin lesion.

They are still pretty rare in the UK where electrolysis has been traditionally used to remove hair. Few practitioners have gone on to learn these advanced procedures and techniques, so you are unlikely to come across many electrologists.

At Absolute Aesthetics, not only do we have our own electrologist but also we are trying to promote the understanding of this exciting new field of clinical intervention.

Does it hurt to remove a Seborrhoeic Keratosis using Electro Micro Surgery (formerly Advanced Electrolysis)?

Removal of a Seborrhoeic Keratosis using EMS involves shaving it off the skin, using short wave diathermy. This is an electrical technique that is a little uncomfortable, but does not need a local anaesthetic. By using short wave diathermy, any minute blood vessels are immediately coagulated (sealed) meaning there's no bleeding. There may however be a little bit of oozing of clear fluid that will form a scab.

How long does it take to remove a Seborrhoeic Keratosis using electro micro surgery?

The length of time it takes to remove each Seborrhoeic Keratosis depends on its size and how long it has been there. Small ones that have not been there too long may be removed in less than five minutes. Larger and more mature ones can take up to15 minutes.

What happens after you’ve removed the Seborrhoeic Keratosis?

As there is no surgery, the lovely thing with removing a Seborrhoeic Keratosis, or several of them, using electro micro surgery means that there are no scars or stitches to be removed. There is no bleeding just a little bit of oozing of clear fluid. This is actually serum from the blood and, just like a graze on a knee, it will scab and after a few days the scab will come off by itself leaving healthy pink skin underneath.

As with any procedure, the skin will then mature and will start to look just like the surrounding normal skin over several weeks with full healing happening between three and six months.

Can Seborrhoeic Keratoses come back again?

The actual Seborrhoeic Keratosis that has been removed will not come back again.

However, the factors that affected the skin to make it grow in the first place are still there, and so it is possible to get further Seborrhoeic Keratoses in the same area. These of course can be removed by electro micro surgery.

To find out more or to book an appointment please contact us.