Skin - Bumps and Seborrheic Keratosis Warty looking things!

[JoannWithoutAnE]

Is anyone seeing an increase in skin lumps, bumps and warty looking growths that seem to be seborrheic keratosis?

Other than having them professionally removed, has anyone been able to manage them in other ways?

I think I have about 3 seb k's and 2 are itchy. Mid-Late 40s.

How many do you have and what age range are you?

I've had 3 on the palm of my hand in the last year and had some on the soles of my feet. They leave tiny pitted indents. I asked on here was told it was normal 🤷‍♀️ but I've only ever had 2 on my face near the eye area in my entire life before.

Did you have the removed or did they resolve themselves?

Mine were more like milia or xanthelasma and they rose, got itchy then rolled off/popped out after about a week. They are tiny but it was weird how many I got in about 3 months and the small pitting is still there over 6 months later.

Just wondering if yours might be these instead? https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-lumps/sebaceous-hyperplasia#outlook

Yep, I have had loads since my mid 50s. Have been told if you’re prone to them, they’ll just keep on coming.

You can’t get them removed on the NHS so I’ve paid to have four taken off my face. I’ve been advised to be meticulous with sun block and use an exfoliant to reduce them forming. But I’m also just relieved they’re nothing more sinister.

Yes it's a relief that they are what they are.

Do you have more than 10? Did they form all of a sudden or did you get 1 then another and so on?

I had one cut out and stitched but I'm looking at other methods now.

Do they itch? Do you know the size?

I’ve probably had about four on my body removed and three on my face at various times. Others I’ve left. The ones on my body were about 1-3 mm; on my face I’ve had them taken off when they’re about 1mm. They just appeared out of nowhere and didn’t itch or bleed.

I’ve had them cut out, scraped off and lasered. Don’t think any one method is better than another and the discomfort much the same.

My GP recommended a clinic but I had to have the all clear from the GP first that they weren’t malignant. The clinics all offered an optional biopsy ( for an extra £100 ish). The bigger ones were more extensive/expensive; the smaller ones about £400-500 for about 4.

I have loads, particularly on my legs. They're quite pale in colour, and sometimes I can scratch them off.
Moisturising everyday makes a massive difference.

How do you get on with hair removal on your legs?

I've tried normal shaving and a spray veet but it seems to aggravate my skin in general now as well as the seb k?

I can feel them as one in particular is bumpy and about 4mm but they are so itchy!

Would you say you got them around perimenopause? I have to say I hadn't heard of them before.

They definitely started in the Peri years, but I hadn't connected them to that, just assumed they were from too much sun as a child. They're not itchy. Hardly ever shave my legs, but keeping them moisturised really helps for when I do.

Do you mind me asking how many do you have?
Did the progressively increase or arrive all around the same time?

Honestly too many to count. On the back of my knees, lower legs, top of thighs, top of arms, on my back. None on my stomach, chest, forearms or face. I am very freckly, so they're difficult to see. My skin feels bumpy where they are.

I think they must have appeared at the same time, as they were suddenly all there, and then did get worse. However, I'm currently using a body oil after fault shower and they seem to be disappearing.

If you have anything that's warty/ moley and itches you should see your GP and maybe a dermatologist (you might have to pay privately for that to speed it up.)
The main thing to rule out is skin cancer.

I'm not sure what other posters are describing but these raised 'old age' spots tend to be darker, raised and a few mms across. They usually develop from sun exposure so anything on the soles of your feet won't be the same as on your back or face.

What you're describing seems to be 'old age' and people get them all over their bodies (men get them too so it's nothing to do with peri.)

My DP has had several removed from his back - but you do need them checking out and not assuming they are 'nothing'.

Yes. I don't think they're peri related, just ages unfortunately.
GP wasn't remotely interested in them when I went to have them checked.

I'm just not coping with this. I don't know if it's perimenopause making me worse or if I'm having a mid-life mortality crisis.

I feel like I have a lot of peri symptoms but with the Seb K's increasing and itching, it's making me flat.

Up to now I've been managing peri symptoms.

If I could stop the itch I'd probably be OK.
I had a large SK removed previously so I'm very convinced the others are the same.

The trigger for the SK's is that I've been reading all sorts about them on the internet and that they can be a sign of cancer usually gastro related. I don't have gastro symptoms.

I keep looking at people's skin and am finding it difficult when I compare it to my skin.

I know no-one personally that has them. I've only found people have them through MumsNet.

What does your GP say about both the SK's and Peri?

Are you considering HRT?

Neck and trunk. Had my first one in pregnancy. Now have loads. £100 a pop to remove them that's very expensive. Would cost me a few thousand pounds.

I've got loads on my back, just popped up out of nowhere, several are large, protuberant and itchy. G.P. and consultant plastic surgeon are utterly unconcerned. It concerns me though so I know how you feel!

I worried intensely about an itchy one of these for years - it was so stressful and miserable. Don't scratch it or near it, it will only get more and more itchy! After I had it checked out (referred by GP), I was given a steroid cream which I used for a couple of weeks that really helped, and told to use a barrier cream sometimes too to stop it getting too dry. Both of those helped and thankfully I can now relax. I think I've got a few now and was also told it's an age thing. Def worth getting things like this checked out, and I know the waiting is horrible, but statistically it is far more likely to be nothing to worry about.

I can manage the Peri symptoms. Normally.

GP referred me over the 1 I had removed. Others not causing me an issue.

New SL on back of leg so itchy. Continually.

Sitting down seems to aggravate it!

GP calls the SK's senile warts. They are the same thing. He said part of aging decline.

Says likely hereditary.

Just so fed up and probably feeling sad for myself when I know I shouldn't.

Do they itch or just feel crusty? Or just there and no problem.

They itch around bra line and necklaces set them itching, they're crusty and smooth. Sometimes bits come off

I've suddenly got loads due to pregnancy. My mum is covered in them but I thought I'd avoided it. No such luck. Pre-pregnancy, an acid wart pen dealt with small ones quite effectively.

Oh this could be me!

I’ve probably got 5 what I’d call ‘new ones’ as in I’ve noticed them appear. I had a few big ones on my back before these that had been there since my mid 40s.

i definitely feel they are appearing more regularly but it’s an age thing that is coinciding with meno rather than a peri symptom as such.

I successfully got rid of one with tea tree oil dabbed on. Ive also read that salicylic acid will sort them. Obviously only do this if you are certain they are harmless SKs; anything else should absolutely be checked by a GP. I have had BCCs removed and SKs examined and left, so I am confident I know the difference.

Like PP, sometimes you can scratch them off if they’ve very small and new.

I HATE THEM. I have had a couple removed by ‘dry ice’ freezing. I would love to have them all off but it would probably cost me hundreds - and there will be new ones coming anyway.

I’m noticing my new ones seem to be where there’s irritation eg one is by my waistband and another bra strap area. So I’m trying to moisturise well in case rubbed dry skin allows them to form. This is not at all a scientific theory!