A seborrheic keratosis is a common noncancerous skin growth. People tend to get more of them as they get older.
Seborrheic keratoses are harmless and not contagious. They don’t need treatment, but you may decide to have them removed if they become irritated by clothing or you don’t like how they look.
Symptoms
A seborrheic keratosis usually looks like a mole or wartlike growth. It typically appears on the face, chest, shoulders or back. You may develop a single growth or multiple growths in different areas of your body.
A seborrheic keratosis:
- Ranges in color from light tan to brown or black
- Is round or oval shaped
- Has a characteristic “pasted on” look
- Is flat or slightly raised with a scaly surface
- Ranges in size from very small to more than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) across
- May itch
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if:
- Many growths develop over a short time.
- The growths get irritated or bleed when your clothing rubs against them. You may want the growths removed.
- You notice suspicious changes in your skin, such as sores or growths that grow rapidly, bleed and don’t heal. These could be signs of skin cancer.