Seborrheic keratosis removal in Edinburgh
Seborrheic keratoses are harmless, waxy, stuck-on growths that appear from middle age and are often mistaken for warts or moles. Each one is checked with dermoscopy, then removed by freezing, curettage or excision, chosen at your consultation.
- Your consultants
- Recovery
- Outpatient day case; 0–1 week off work
- Guide price
- From £395 to £795 with histology. Full price list below
Contents
What seborrheic keratoses are
Seborrheic keratoses are non-cancerous growths of the upper skin layer — extremely common from the sixties onwards, often multiple, and found anywhere except the palms and soles. They are typically waxy or warty, sharply defined, and tan to black in colour, with a “stuck-on” look. There is no evidence they turn into skin cancer, and they are not contagious.
Why they are sometimes mistaken for skin cancer
Seborrheic keratoses are harmless, but they can occasionally look like a pigmented skin cancer — particularly melanoma — to the naked eye. This is the main reason a patient should not assume a dark, raised, or irregular spot is “just an age spot” without it being properly assessed.
Dermoscopy resolves this in almost all cases. A consultant trained in dermatology recognises the structural features of a seborrheic keratosis under the dermatoscope — milia-like cysts, comedo-like openings, fissures and ridges — that are not present in melanoma. Where the dermoscopic appearance is unambiguous, the lesion is treated as a benign seborrheic keratosis and removed (if you choose to remove it) by whichever method suits its size and site.
Where any doubt exists, the lesion is removed under the skin cancer pathway as an excisional biopsy, with the material sent for histology. See the mole and skin cancer check page if your primary reason for booking is to have a changing or suspicious lesion looked at, rather than to have a confirmed seborrheic keratosis removed.
When to seek assessment
Patients commonly book a seborrheic keratosis assessment when they have noticed one of the following:
- A growing, scaly, or warty patch that catches on clothing or jewellery
- A lesion that has become tender, inflamed, or has started to bleed when knocked
- Multiple lesions developing over several years, particularly on visible sites
- A lesion that has changed enough in appearance to cause concern about skin cancer
- A lesion that is cosmetically bothersome
A sudden increase in the number of seborrheic keratoses, particularly accompanied by itch, is occasionally associated with internal illness (the so-called Leser-Trélat sign) and warrants assessment. Any individual lesion that changes rapidly in size, shape, or colour should also be reviewed, to exclude a skin cancer mimicking a seborrheic keratosis.
How removal is performed
The method is chosen at consultation, based on the size, thickness, and site of the lesion, and on your preferences for cosmetic result.
Cryotherapy — liquid nitrogen is applied to the lesion, which causes it to scab and fall off over the following one to two weeks. Best for thinner seborrheic keratoses and small lesions on the trunk and limbs. Does not produce material for histology, so is only used where the diagnosis is dermoscopically certain.
Curettage and cautery — the lesion is scraped off under local anaesthetic and the base sealed with electrocautery. Works well for thicker lesions where a flat result is preferred. Material can be sent for histology where indicated.
Shave excision — a horizontal removal of the raised portion of the lesion at the level of the surrounding skin, under local anaesthetic. Used for raised lesions where a flush cosmetic result matters. Material is sent for histology.
Surgical excision — the lesion is removed in full with a small margin and the wound closed with sutures. Used for larger lesions, lesions in cosmetically sensitive sites, or where histology is required. Material is sent for histology in every case.
Most removals are performed under local anaesthetic in a single outpatient visit.
What seborrheic keratosis removal can and can’t do
Seborrheic keratoses are harmless, so removal is a choice rather than a need. Each method leaves some mark, and none stops new ones appearing.
It can
- Confirm with dermoscopy that the lesion is a seborrheic keratosis and not a pigmented skin cancer.
- Remove it, usually by curettage (gently scraping it off under local anaesthetic), with freezing for small flat ones and shave or excision where needed.
- Treat several lesions in one visit.
- Send tissue for histology where there is any doubt.
It can’t
- Be done without a mark. Freezing and curettage usually leave a flat patch that is lighter or darker than the surrounding skin; excision leaves a line.
- Promise it will not regrow. Lesions treated by freezing or light curettage can come back at the same site, and can be treated again. Excision has the lowest recurrence.
- Stop new ones. Most people over 50 have some, and new ones keep appearing with age.
- Produce histology after freezing. Cryotherapy destroys the lesion, so it is only used where the diagnosis is certain under the dermatoscope.
- Guarantee an even colour match, particularly in darker skin and on sun-exposed sites, where pigment change can be lasting.
Your consultant will tell you at your consultation which of these apply to you.
Keratoses removal before and after
Seborrhoeic keratosis removal
Seborrhoeic keratosis removal
Results vary from person to person. Your consultant will show you more examples at consultation and explain what is realistic for you.
What seborrheic keratosis removal costs
- Consultation
- £200, with a consultant. It includes a dermoscopic examination and a same-appointment recommendation.
- Histology
- Included with every excision, so you get a laboratory diagnosis, not just a removal.
- Your quotation
- Confirmed in writing after your consultation, once the consultant has assessed the lesion.
- Paying
- Interest-free finance over 6 or 10 months is available for most skin procedures at Waterfront.
Pricing depends on the method of removal and the size of the lesion. Guide prices at Waterfront Private Hospital:
- Consultation — £200
- Cryotherapy of small lesions (skin-tag-priced) — from £395
- Shave excision (including histology) — from £595
- Excision of a benign skin lesion (including histology) — from £795
- Multiple lesions in one session — priced after assessment, based on the total work required
Each price covers the consultant’s fee, the hospital and theatre fees at Waterfront, histology (where applicable), and routine post-operative reviews. Final pricing is confirmed in writing after consultation, based on the number, size, site, and method required.
Waterfront Private Hospital is self-pay.
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Questions before you book?
Ask anything about seborrhoeic keratosis removal, its recovery, risks or cost, any time and in plain language. If you would like, our team can contact you afterwards.
General information, not a substitute for a consultation.
Patients often ask
Quick answers
How much does seborrheic keratosis removal cost?
Can I get rid of a seborrheic keratosis at home?
What is a seborrheic keratosis (an "age spot")?
It is often called an age spot or a senile wart.
Are seborrheic keratoses dangerous?
How can you tell a seborrheic keratosis from a skin cancer?
Who performs the assessment and removal at Waterfront?
Do I need a GP referral?
How quickly can I be seen?
Can multiple seborrheic keratoses be removed in one session?
Will the procedure leave a scar?
Will the seborrheic keratosis come back after removal?
What anaesthetic is used?
Should I be concerned if a lot of seborrheic keratoses appear suddenly?
How is treatment paid for?
Your consultants
You meet your consultant at your first appointment. The same consultant plans your treatment, carries it out and sees you afterwards.
Mr Ben Aldridge
Consultant Plastic and Dermatological Surgeon
GMC Specialist Register (Plastic Surgery) · Dual trained in dermatology
Mr Kazem Nassar
Consultant Plastic Surgeon
GMC Specialist Register (Plastic Surgery)
Risks, and how often they happen
Every procedure carries risk. Here they are in three groups, with how often they happen where the evidence allows. Your consultant will go through them with you, and they are in your written consent.
Expected Almost everyone, and they settle
- A blister or scab after freezing, which falls off over one to two weeks.
- A flat patch that heals lighter or darker than the surrounding skin, which usually improves but can be permanent, especially in darker skin.
- Soreness and redness for a few days.
- A linear scar where a lesion is excised, pink at first and fading over 12 to 18 months.
Uncommon Some patients, and some need further treatment
- The lesion regrowing at the same site after freezing or light curettage, which can be retreated.Uncommonno reliable figure
- Wound infection that needs a course of antibiotics.Under 1 in 50after curettage or excision
- A pale or flat white scar after freezing.Uncommonno reliable figure
- Numbness where a superficial nerve is frozen, which usually recovers over months.Uncommonno reliable figure
Rare but serious
- A raised, thickened scar (hypertrophic or keloid), more likely in darker skin and on the chest, shoulders and upper back.Very rare after freezingno reliable figure
- A skin cancer mimicking a seborrheic keratosis, which is why anything in doubt is excised with histology rather than frozen.Rare
- A serious reaction to the local anaesthetic.Very rare
For the long term
- New seborrheic keratoses will appear with age. Each is a separate decision, and most need no treatment.
- Pigment change can be lasting. Protect treated areas from the sun for the first year.
- A sudden crop of itchy keratoses is occasionally linked to internal illness and should be assessed rather than treated cosmetically.
- Any dark lesion that changes should be checked, even in someone with many keratoses. See our mole and skin cancer check page.
Where these figures come from
- British Association of Dermatologists, Seborrhoeic keratosis patient leaflet (Oct 2022). For: Regrowth and new lesions.
- British Association of Dermatologists, Cryotherapy patient leaflet (Oct 2022). For: Cryotherapy side effects.
- Wood et al., JAMA Dermatol 2013;149:108-109. For: Cryotherapy versus curettage.
- Dixon et al., Dermatol Surg 2006;32:819-826 (5,091 lesions, no prophylactic antibiotics). For: Wound infection.
- British Association of Dermatologists, Keloids patient leaflet (Apr 2021). For: Raised (hypertrophic or keloid) scars.
- NHS, Local anaesthetic (reviewed Dec 2025). For: Serious reaction to local anaesthetic.
Figures are drawn from UK national guidance and published studies, and your own risk may be higher or lower. More from the British Association of Dermatologists on seborrhoeic keratoses and on cryotherapy.
Aftercare
Wound or treated-area care is provided in writing on the day of the procedure. After cryotherapy the lesion typically scabs and falls off over one to two weeks; the area should be left alone to heal. After surgical excision or curettage, stitches (if used) are removed at 7 to 14 days, depending on the site. The Waterfront nursing team is available for the first week for any wound-related concerns.
Your consultant remains accessible after the procedure — if anything concerns you, they will respond directly and arrange to see you as soon as needed. Where histology has been taken, the result is normally available within approximately two weeks and is communicated by the consultant who performed the procedure.
- Day of surgeryHome within the hour. Most skin surgery is under local anaesthetic.
- Next dayBack to office work. Heavy, dirty or wet jobs need a few days.
- Days 7–14Stitches out at Waterfront.
- 3–4 weeksHistology results, where a sample is sent to the laboratory.
- 12 monthsNurse reviews, dressing clinics and the treatment of any complications are included.
Typical timings. Your consultant and nurse will tailor them to you.
Written by
Mr Kazem Nassar, MBChB, FRCS (Plast), GMC 7131999, is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Consultant with over 10 years of experience. He practices at St John’s Hospital and the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, specialising in melanoma, skin cancer treatments, breast surgery, and post-cancer reconstructive surgery.
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