Is it Seborrheic Keratosis OR something else?
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Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:41 am

HELP! I am 40 years old and for 10 years have been getting these little brown age spots all over my forearms and legs. Some of the spots are slightly raised and very dry to where I try to scrape or pick them off. Based on descriptions I've read about and seen on websites, I would definitely say that I have Stucco Seb-K on my lower legs, but all the others just look like raised, dry versions of the age spots. I have seen many people on here say theirs are on their backs, faces, trunk, but none of mine are...and I have yet to meet one person who has these all over their legs and arms, and when they do, it turns out to be porokeratosis, but I don't think I meet the criteria for those either because they are said to have a border, and be reddish, which mine are not. DOES ANYONE HAVE SK's ON THEIR LEGS AND ARMS, AND IS ANYONE OUT THERE CLOSER TO MY AGE THAT DOES? I would so much more at ease if I knew there were other 30/40 years old with this, and who also have the SKs on their legs and/or arms.
I'm scare it's something more serious even though my derma said it's SK, I am not sure they know much about the porokeratosis and other possibilities, I think they see so much SK in their offices, that they diagnose everyone with it.

free skin care · Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:59 pm

Hi, I have SK's on my arms and legs. I started getting them around age 45. I'm now 59, not your age but like you haven't met anyone who has them in the way I do. I don't have any at all on my back, face trunk or hands. Mine are flat and look more like freckles but some are bigger. A few are raised but not many. I was puzzled too as to why most people had them on their chest or back . But I've had several doctors tell me they are SK's. Today I went to a medispa and the doctor zapped one spot on my arm near my shoulder just to see if it would lighten or go away in a few weeks. So far it looks like nothing was done to it. I read with interest the H2O2 treatment and did try that a couple times. I noticed it made the spots darker, that is okay as long as they go away eventually. After a while I thought they did lighten up but wasn't sure if it was just because I got use to them being darker. I haven't continued with this treatment because I got married recently and didn't want to be in the middle of treatment. I am going to start it again in winter so I can cover everything up with clothes.
There was on treatment that I did and it seemed to start making them go away. I fell away from it but might try this again too. It was Cimetidine, or Tagamet, the anti-acid pill. You have to take a huge dose everyday for a few months. It helps get rid of SK's and warts and other stuff by triggering the immune system to fight them off. Google cimetidine and SK's together on the internet. There are several studies done on it. I looked up the porokeratosis and it's not what I have. My sister has them too so I think their is a genetic component to them. Since I started getting them around the time of menopause I wondered if there was also a hormonal connection. You are too young for that but I was just wondering if you had any hormonal problems too. Good luck to you and should you find anything that helps, please let me know!
Jean

nikkkiC wrote:

HELP! I am 40 years old and for 10 years have been getting these little brown age spots all over my forearms and legs. Some of the spots are slightly raised and very dry to where I try to scrape or pick them off. Based on descriptions I've read about and seen on websites, I would definitely say that I have Stucco Seb-K on my lower legs, but all the others just look like raised, dry versions of the age spots. I have seen many people on here say theirs are on their backs, faces, trunk, but none of mine are...and I have yet to meet one person who has these all over their legs and arms, and when they do, it turns out to be porokeratosis, but I don't think I meet the criteria for those either because they are said to have a border, and be reddish, which mine are not. DOES ANYONE HAVE SK's ON THEIR LEGS AND ARMS, AND IS ANYONE OUT THERE CLOSER TO MY AGE THAT DOES? I would so much more at ease if I knew there were other 30/40 years old with this, and who also have the SKs on their legs and/or arms.
I'm scare it's something more serious even though my derma said it's SK, I am not sure they know much about the porokeratosis and other possibilities, I think they see so much SK in their offices, that they diagnose everyone with it.

Tue Aug 17, 2010 7:08 pm

Hi Nikki, I am 43 years old and I have had multiple seborrheic keratoses covering my legs and arms for almost 10 years. I have tried everything to get rid of them! They are definitely from sundamage and genetics - my father had stucco keratoses on his legs, my aunt had the same as mine - flat, textured, waxy brown and reddish lesions. I found on this forum a discussion regarding 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide as a cure for seborrheic keratoses. I pray that it works as I am ready to order it.

Tue Aug 17, 2010 7:22 pm

You may find this thread helpful:

Seborrheic Keratosis - at Home Treatment (Cure)
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=30365

Welcome to EDS. wave

Wed Aug 18, 2010 7:40 pm

havana thank you for your response. 2tnewman, if you havent ordered your H202 yet, I have recently received two quarts and have one unopened bottle that I afraid will go to waste because you literally will only be using drops at a time and there is only a year or so shelf life. If you are interested, let me know and we can discuss it. Again, thank you for your reply. I feel better knowing there are other people my age with the leg/arm mutiple SK problem. I have writing to The Doctors show hoping they will contact me as well ! Take care.

2tnewman wrote:

Hi Nikki, I am 43 years old and I have had multiple seborrheic keratoses covering my legs and arms for almost 10 years. I have tried everything to get rid of them! They are definitely from sundamage and genetics - my father had stucco keratoses on his legs, my aunt had the same as mine - flat, textured, waxy brown and reddish lesions. I found on this forum a discussion regarding 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide as a cure for seborrheic keratoses. I pray that it works as I am ready to order it.

Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:49 am

Nikki, thank you for responding! Please let me know if the H2O2 works on your legs and arms. I am PRAYING that it will!!! I have spent thousands of dollars trying everything else - TCA peels,IPL, Fraxel, etc. I haven't worn a bathing suit, tank top, shorts, or a dress in years because I am so self-conscious about these lesions. They cover my legs and the back of my arms while my face, stomack, and back are normal. It's so strange! BTW, I ordered 1 quart H2O2 and 30% glycolic acid yesterday.

Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:08 am

Well unfortunately the H202 is only slightly working. If I stick to a regimen and stop picking at them maybe eventually I will see a difference but when they scab up, I tend to pick and then I get some residual scarring which lasts several weeks. When you have so many like I do, there are constantly scars and/or scabs because by the time one goes away, 3 more appear. My guess is that these are viral or hormonal in nature but docs disagree.Glycolic acid seems to slow the growth but again...leaves dark spots unless I do the entire leg, which can be very costly. I am starting microdermabrasion treatment on the stuccos hoping those will settle down, and I will continue getting the bigger wartier ones frozen off. By the way? Where do you live? I live in North Carolina.

Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:28 am

I live in Atlanta but I went to school in North Carolina - Elon College/University. In fact, my husband and I were in Asheville last weekend. Smile

It sounds like your SKs are a little different from mine. I cannot pick off my lesions because they are very flat but textured, plus I shave my legs everyday so I'm sure that keeps them flat too. Maybe some of the past treatments have kept them from elevating. During the winter, they are very light and unnoticeable but in the summer with the heat, they are darker. How are you applying the H2O2?

Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:38 am

Only some I can pick. I have 3 different "styles." Some shed very easily like dry skin patches, others take more effort to pick, some I can only pick off after they've scabbed from treatment (usually salycic acid or H202) and some aren't pickable at all. I don't particularly feel comfortable wearing a swimsuit either Sad

Thu Aug 19, 2010 11:00 am

I definitely feel uncomfortable wearing any summer clothes. I can't wait until Fall - long sleeves and pants! How did you apply the H2O2? I sent "mpstat" a message to follow-up on the status of her treatment and any recommendations. BTW, where in NC are you?

Thu Aug 19, 2010 4:17 pm

I'm in Raleigh. I apply a droplet of H202 directly onto the SK and leave it there until it absorbs (which can take 10 minutes depending on the size of the drop). It burns! I try to make sure it doesn't touch the normal skin, but it usually does a little. I do this a few times a day for a few days until it crusts or scabs or gets "pickable." Sounds kinda gross but it is what it is. Good luck! PS. Only try 1 or 2 at a time and keep track of how long and how many applications it takes to get to the removal stage. Doing too many at a time not only hurts but you may tend to lose track of your "system" not to mention the discoloration that ensues around the treated SK.

Sat Jun 04, 2011 2:17 pm

Well, its that time of year again! Has anyone found anything that works yet? Mine are worse than ever and I am actually depressed, Sad

and about to cry as I put my swimsuit on. I feel like 81 instead of 41. In fact, I've seen 81 y/o woman with better skin than me.
I am thinking about buying Dermablend and/or that spray on pantyhose stuff just to go out in public with shorts on. Have any of you ever tried those products?

free skin care · Wed Oct 17, 2012 11:39 am

I just wanted to relate a story. My older sister had these "stuck on" looking SK's all over her legs, dozens and dozens of them for over 20 years. They looked like you could just pick them off. She hated them and about a year or so ago she told me to look at her legs. All the SK's looked like they were drying up and falling off. She said she prayed about them and it was a miracle. Not being the religious sort I wanted to know what she had DONE to them. What did she put on them, what did she eat, what medications she was taking, etc. etc. There seemed to be no external reason I could find from her. So they can just go away, that I saw for myself.

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