Seborrheic keratosis

A seborrheic keratosis (sehb-oh-REE-ihk kehr-uh-TOH-sihs) is a non-cancerous growth in the outer skin layers that may resemble a waxy wart. They usually appear above the waist on areas like the chest, back, shoulders, or face. In the beginning, seborrheic keratoses (kehr-uh-TOH-seez) are small, rough bumps that gradually thicken. Colors may vary from yellow to brown to black and the raised spots may look as if they've been pasted on or like drips from candle wax. The growths can become the size of a half-dollar or larger. Usually more than one will be present. Doctors aren't sure what causes these growths, but they're very common in people over 40 and their occurrence increases with age. Typically, seborrheic keratoses cause no problem other than cosmetic concerns, but in some locations, they may become irritated if repeatedly rubbed by clothing or skin. If desired, the growths can be removed by scraping, freezing, or cauterizing (KAWT-er-eyez-eeng) the tissue with electric current. Once taken off, the keratoses rarely return. Because black keratoses can resemble a dangerous condition known as melanoma (mel-uh-NOH-muh), you may want to have any questionable spots checked by a doctor, just to be safe.