Sebaceous Wart Removal

A Seborrhoeic Wart is also known as Seborrhoeic Keratosis. In the past they were also called “senile” warts. They usually look like greasy or crusty spots which seem stuck on to the skin. The colour varies greatly, depending on the underlying skin colour and its melanin content. Usually they are darkish brown or black.

Seborrhoeic warts are usually round or oval, but can also have an irregular shape. Their size can vary from around a few millimeters to large areas of usually “confluent” warts of larger sizes.

Seborrhoeic warts tend to appear from the early to mid-forties onwards. They can sometimes run in families. We do not know the cause of seborrhoeic warts. Some patients develop several and sometimes many of these keratotic lesions as they become older. Also, as time goes by, each wart tends to grow slightly and become darker. Sometimes they can fall off by themselves, particularly if they are quite brittle while the fatty ones do not tend to fall of easily. Sometimes a wart can get a bit
inflamed and can fall off afterwards. They can occur anywhere on your body, other than on your palms or soles.

No, they are not. Seborrhoeic warts are benign. That means they do not spread and they are not cancerous. The main problem is that they can sometimes look unsightly, particularly if they develop on your face.


Very rare cases have been reported of a type of skin cancer called
melanoma developing within a keratosis. We do not know if this is just a
coincidence or whether it represents a true cancer change in the
seborrheic wart. If you do notice a change in a seborrhoeic wart, it is
worth getting your doctor to examine it.

While we may call them warts it is a little confusing as wart virus is
not the cause. They are not infectious.

If they do not cause any problems you can leave them alone. Without treatment, they usually continue to grow and can become darker and more crusty. However, they do increase in size very slowly. Thus, early removal is indicated if you do not like the appearance and want to prevent them from getting bigger. to remove them are when they itch or interfere with clothing or jewellery.

Rippon Medical Services only remove Seborrhoeic Warts using a scraping technique called curettage. After curettage, the raw area will be correctly dressed. There are no stitches because this treatment is designed to allow healing with minimal scarring. The wound will be a black area like a deep graze, which may take two to three weeks to heal. Once healed the scar may be red and slightly raised. After several months it should settle to a more flesh coloured scar.

If they do not cause any problems you can leave them alone. Without
treatment, they usually continue to grow and can become darker and more
crusty. However, they do increase in size very slowly. Thus, early
removal is indicated if you do not like the appearance and want to
prevent them from getting bigger. to remove them are when they itch or
interfere with clothing or jewellery.

Surgical Seborrhoeic Wart Removal costs £350.00
Including Consultation Procedure and Pathology
Aftercare with Dr A G Rippon
Full access to our post-operative care.
7 Day follow up with Dr A G Rippon
Per Additional Surgical Seborrhoeic Wart Removal - £300.00
(if removed at the same time)