Seborrheic Keratosis Help! What works to get rid of SK?

Posted by crystalranae @crystalranae, Feb 20, 2025

Has anyone found anything that truly works to get rid of Seborrheic keratosis? I have 100’s on my arms and legs and now they are starting on my stomach. I refuse to wear short sleeves or shorts because they are so ugly😢 They are taking over my body and I can’t find any help.

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woobus | @woobus | Jan 29 7:46pm

In reply to @patriciauk "@woobus yes, I have been using this for 3 weeks. It is working very well. I..." + (show)

@patriciauk I’m so glad you are having such a good result. I actually quit for a week just to let my skin rest. Moisturizing is good. My largest SKs are now little dots and some of the smaller ones are being more stubborn
Thanks for sharing!

patriciauk | @patriciauk | Jan 30 7:08pm

I'm so glad it is working for you too. Although these things are harmless they are quite distressing to live with.

woobus | @woobus | Mar 17 11:56am

In reply to @itchyrich "Most of the treatments listed are for AKs, which all the derms I've encountered call "precancerous..." + (show)

@itchyrich

Most of the treatments listed are for AKs, which all the derms I've encountered call "precancerous growths". They love to freeze them off and charge Medicare a ton of money. Most of mine over the years have looked like dry patches of skin. While researching the treatments listed, I came across this excerpt from PubMed that I have never heard of previously. Seems interesting and I will do more research on it

"Seborrheic keratosis (SK) is a benign, common disease affecting mostly the middle aged and elderly population. SK lesions are characterized by pigmented skin growth, a warty surface, and sharp margins. Current therapies (curettage or cryotherapy) are invasive and painful. A non-invasive treatment is evaluated in this clinical study. Objectives: To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of Nitrizinc Complex® topical solution (NZCS) for treatment of SK, after one to two topical applications. Thirty-two SK patients with a total of 59 lesions were treated with NZCS. Outcomes were determined by the dermatologist at clinical visits at one, three, six, and 12 months post-procedure and by subjective evaluation of patients through questionnaires. Six months after treatment, complete elimination was observed in 80% of the lesions (72% of the patients), while 93.3% of the lesions showed at least 50% reduction. Treatment ended with 100% cosmetic benefit as no scars or dyschromia were observed in the treated areas. Subjective treatment and cosmetic satisfaction were evaluated and corresponded to 8.66/10 and 8.07/10, respectively. The product was preferred over all other options previously used by all patients. Treatment was highly tolerable as discomfort, such as pain and itching/burning sensations, was minimal. No relapse cases have been observed at 12 months after treatment. This study demonstrates that NZCS is an efficient, easy-to-apply, safe and well tolerated treatment for SK lesions, and may therefore be considered as a potential topical non-invasive alternative for SK treatment."

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@itchyrich thanks for this advice, I will try it. Is the nitrizinc complex an OTC or do I need a prescription? I have tried tazarotene cream and it works but is very uncomfortable and must be used twice a day for three months. I did my front for 3 months and then had my spouse do my back…after a few weeks my skin became hypersensitive. I got friction burns in places that were not being treated!
Best, Becky

itchyrich | @itchyrich | Mar 19 4:55pm

In reply to @woobus "@itchyrich thanks for this advice, I will try it. Is the nitrizinc complex an OTC or..." + (show)

@woobus It's been a year since I posted that comment. At that time, I couldn't find much of anything on SKs. Today, there is quite a lot that comes up in my searches, but I still can't find anything that is exactly the Nitrizinc Complex. Sounds like it is a product, but it never comes up as one. While I have found a lot of other possible remedies, especially on Reddit for wart medicines, I have pretty much given up as I am getting too old to worry about the cosmetic aspects anymore. I also have Grover's Disease, which itches even more than the SKs, so i just keep using Eucerin Itch Relief which sort of relieves it a bit. Good luck, I hope you find something that works.

dhreis | @dhreis | Jun 6 1:37pm

So what does work for the Seborrheic Keratosis? I was diagnosed about 5 years ago, and it’s been progressively getting worse. First my back, then belly and now it’s starting on my face. Can’t take it anymore and looking for help. Eskata I heard worked but is no longer available (not sure but it was 30% hydrogen peroxide, can’t you just buy that? In medical grade?).

Please give me some options I can try as. Dermatologist for cosmetic purposes is a bit out of reach. Thanks

gardeningjunkie | @gardeningjunkie | Jun 7 11:14am

For the early stages of Seborrheic Keratosis, Xirun Gel,which is Lactic Acid 10% and Urea 40% with Aloe Vera made a surprising difference. My dermatologist prescibed this resonably priced prescription and my reaction was an unslightly red rash with tiny papuales which was itchy and painful, progressing for at least 10 days. It was prescribed for my upper chest and this rash looked much like the Grover's Disease, GD, I used to get.Hundreds of very small little papuales. ( My GD has been dormant since the end of 2019 because of the blended cilantro I drank daily which served as a heavy metal detox).
I also have Allergic Contact Dermatitis and feared this rash was an allergic reaction to the ingredients, yet I kept using the gel because I didn't think I was allergic to the ingredients in the gel. Within 2 weeks of daily use the tiny blisters were healing and by 3 weeks of daily use it was evident I wasn't allergic and thetiny seborrheic keratosis papuales were scabbing over and falling off. It took about a month to heal. I can't see any, but maybe the dermatologist can. I'll learn more next check up the end of the year. I tried using it months later and got no reaction. My chest area is smoother.
I used this gel on my husband who has an abundance of large SK's, it did dry them, they peeled some but they are still there. Burning or cutting those off seems to be the only way to get rid of them. Even with burning they usually reappear, just smaller and then they grow back overtime.

kolshansky | @kolshansky | Jun 7 12:45pm

Fortunately seborrrheic keratosis (SK) are benign. Unfortunately there are no simple, inexpensive effective treatments.
Suggestion: Liquid nitrogen ( freezing ) is very effective however depending upon your individual dermatologist or primary care physician who does liquid nitrogen treatment, it can be expensive. It takes 5 seconds to freeze a SK. I would suggest talking with your dermatologist or primary and see if they would be willing to work out a reasonable treatment plan. For example $200 out of pocket for 25 SK’s. This could be done in less than ten minutes. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
Yes, liquid nitrogen treatment will leave reddish scars which improve with time and are much less unsightly than the SK’s.

gardeningjunkie | @gardeningjunkie | Jun 8 9:15am

I do want to update my information about Xirun Gel, Lactic Acid 10% Urea 40%, in many areas this topical is not a prescription.

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