How to Treat Seborrheic Keratosis? | What Dermatologists Do

Understanding how to treat seborrheic keratosis starts with a fact most people don’t expect: the majority of these waxy, stuck-on-looking brown growths need nothing done at all. They’re benign and not contagious, so treatment is about symptoms, not safety. When removal does make sense, the real options are in-office procedures — liquid nitrogen, shaving or scraping, heat, and sometimes laser — each with trade-offs worth knowing before you book an appointment.

Do You Actually Need Treatment?

Most seborrheic keratoses need no treatment at all. These growths are benign, non-contagious, and harmless, so dermatologists typically leave them alone unless one changes or starts bothering you. They become more common with age and often run in families.

Removal is usually reserved for growths that snag on clothing or jewelry, bleed, stay irritated, or bother you cosmetically. Mayo Clinic’s guidance is direct: any lesion that changes, grows rapidly, bleeds, or doesn’t heal deserves a medical check.

See a dermatologist first when:

• Many new growths appear in a short period.
• A lesion grows quickly, bleeds, or won’t heal.
• The diagnosis is unconfirmed — other skin conditions can look like seborrheic keratoses.

What you shouldn’t do is remove one yourself. Scratching, cutting, or freezing it at home risks infection and scarring, and home methods rarely get the whole growth out cleanly. If it’s worth removing, a doctor can handle it in minutes.

Office Procedures That Remove Seborrheic Keratoses

Dermatologists remove seborrheic keratoses with in-office procedures, usually freezing, shaving, or electrocautery, and often a combination of two. The growth typically comes off in a single visit, and because it sits on the skin’s surface rather than growing into it, no stitches are needed.

Cryotherapy is the most common choice, but it has limits. Mayo Clinic’s treatment overview notes that freezing doesn’t always work on raised, thicker growths, and it carries a risk of permanent pigment loss, especially on Black or brown skin. Any of these procedures can leave the healed area lighter than the surrounding skin — worth weighing when the growth is on your face.

Because these growths sit on top of the skin, recovery is quick. The treated spot may crust and heal over the following weeks, and most people don’t need any downtime. Cryotherapy can blister briefly as it heals, and a growth that doesn’t respond fully can be treated again.

The Prescription Topical Option

There is one prescription topical approved by the FDA for seborrheic keratoses: a high-strength hydrogen peroxide solution sold under the brand name Eskata. A clinician applies it in the office, and it’s intended for raised growths. This isn’t the household hydrogen peroxide in your bathroom cabinet.

The main drawback is cost — Mayo Clinic notes that most insurance plans don’t cover it — and it still requires an office visit. If you’d rather start with an at-home option, our roundup of the best cream for seborrheic keratosis compares the OTC products people actually use. Expect creams to soften and flatten over time, but know they rarely eliminate a thick growth the way office treatment does.