Seborrheic Keratosis - at Home Treatment (Cure)
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free skin care · Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:16 pm

I doubt that it is good for moles either raised or flat ones. I have a small flat brown mole, brown pigmentation about 4-5 mm in diameter, that was treated at the same time with SK since I treated large area simultaniousely. While SK desappeared, nothing happened with the mole.

free skin care · Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:45 pm

Okay I see. So I guess I could try this treatment on the spots I think are SK and if they don't disappear then I'll know they are moles ^.^

Or do you think I could just try to treat all the spots as moles with something like the itworkspaste? If the spot comes back after treating it as a mole, does that mean it is SK?

Sorry for all the questions, I know your not an SK diagnostic specialist. I'm sure its probably best to go to a doctor but I can't get in to a dermatologist's office anywhere until the end of Dec. :/

P.S. Thanks for starting such a great thread - obviously you struck a chord, as it seems like most people suffer with these spots. Awesome information!

free skin care · Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:11 pm

mpstat wrote:

As for hyperpigmantation, it was longer time to get even skin tone, since I treated it with hydroquinone for a while, but eventually I got nice skin tone. You can try to do the same if you want to remove hyperpigmantation.

Thanks, Mpstat - I appreciate your advice. I'm not so worried about the leg one - as that one was just a test spot. I'm vain - but not going to worry about a bit of hyperpigmentation on my leg. (My face is another story though!)

I'm going to give the one on my face a bit of time to dry out some more - to see if the skin will dry up and maybe flake off. If it doesn't look like it's going to do that in the next few days or so - I'll attack it again. (But, this next time, I'm going to "paint" on a barrier of Vaseline around the SK first...)

I'll keep you posted! Thanks again!

free skin care · Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:09 pm

EZUltrasound - while SK is very wide spread, but there are other skin conditions exist, such as actinic keratosis etc. If you are not sure on what you have, it might be preferable to wait until December, and let the doc to diagnose. This way you would not make more harm then good. Just to be on a safer side. Wink

free skin care · Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:11 pm

taobunny - sounds like a good plan! Very Happy

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

free skin care · Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:29 pm

mpstat wrote:

EZUltrasound - while SK is very wide spread, but there are other skin conditions exist, such as actinic keratosis etc. If you are not sure on what you have, it might be preferable to wait until December, and let the doc to diagnose. This way you would not make more harm then good. Just to be on a safer side. Wink

Thanks for the input - I guess that's a good idea. I can use the "itworkspaste" on my regular moles and wait to see the doctor about my "questionable" spots. Still I have this thread bookmarked so if it is SK, I won't be talked into paying hundreds to have the spots removed. THANKS!

free skin care · Mon Nov 03, 2008 7:17 pm

mpstat wrote:

taobunny - sounds like a good plan! Very Happy

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Thanks Mpstat!

Okay, here's the update! So, the little SK that I blasted on my face scabbed up. Not a big raised scab, just kind of a flat dry area (but definitely a serous scab formation).

I washed my face this morning, and noticed that it looked like the SK was part of the scab itself. When I washed my face this evening, the scab softened up and then kind of peeled off - taking the SK with it. So, no more dark spot there!

Since it *was* a scabbed area - there is now a little "owie" left behind. It's definitely kind of irritated still - so I'm going to put Neosporin on it to help the wound heal up nicely - and will definitely start an anti-pigmentation routine on the area. (Since I tend to get hyperpigmentation after any sort of skin trauma.)

Going forward (and, yes, I'm going to keep tackling the other spots!) I think I'll lower the concentration of glycolic acid as the 35% was too strong for the face (for me, anyway). I'll experiment and let you know what happens.

Either way, I'm thrilled! The spot is gone!!! (I feel like Lady Macbeth! "Out, damn'd spot! Out, I say!") Laughing

free skin care · Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:52 am

taobunny wrote:

....Either way, I'm thrilled! The spot is gone!!! (I feel like Lady Macbeth! "Out, damn'd spot! Out, I say!") Laughing

This is great!!! Thank you for the description of your experience, it is quite helpful!

The strength of treatment solution is an individual thing, in your case even for different body parts.

I can relate to your feelings, and keep looking at my back that has been clear and nice for a while now and still so happy about having clear skin!

free skin care · Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:50 pm

Hi Mpstat,

Thanks again so much for posting this thread! I would have never imagined that I could deal with SKs myself at home! I might have ended up paying $$$ to my dermatologist again for laser/IPL treatments.

So, the original SK area on the face is healing up nicely. The Neosporin is helping the skin cells to migrate and close up the "wound" quite nicely. It's definitely looking far less irritated this evening.

To update (just in case other forum members are curious as to what seems to be working for me):

Last evening I decided to tackle a few more spots. Knowing that the 35% solution was far too strong for my face, I tried mixing a couple of different solutions.

1) 3 drops glycolic + 7 drops of water = 21%
2) 3 drops glycolic + 5 drops of water = 26.25%

Of course, the actual percentages vary slightly - simply because the dropper method isn't the most accurate method of dispensing. (And, glycolic acid, being thicker, tends to want to make smaller droplets - vs. water - which wants to make larger droplets.)

I found that the 21% solution was too weak - and I couldn't feel it doing anything. So, I went up to the next stronger level (26.25%) and that seemed to be the correct dosage for me. I did initially try to mask the area around each SK with Vaseline, but found it too cumbersome - and found that my body heat ended up melting the Vaseline too much - and it just got in the way. Instead, I used a very tiny (000) nylon bristled paintbrush - and very, very carefully painted on a thin layer of the solution - just on the SK itself. (I find it's better to do multiple thin layers - with a somewhat drier brush - than do a thick layer - with a wet brush - as I found that it dripped too much with a wetter brush.)

The first few layers didn't sting at all. But, I gave each layer about 5-10 minutes to dry - and then painted on another layer - for a total of about four layers. By the time I got to the third or fourth layer, it was definitely stinging - so that tells me that the acid solution had broken through the skin's lipid barrier (and possibly the outer layers of skin). I didn't put on any neutralizer afterwards. I let each spot dry completely on its own - and then went to bed.

This morning, all of my SK areas (even some really light ones, which I'm assuming are new newly forming SKs - but they might even be tiny, flat moles) were much, much darker than they were before treatment. (This is consistent with my earlier experiences - so I wasn't worried. In fact, I consider this to be an encouraging sign that things are progressing nicely.) They don't hurt - and, unless you knew what my SKs looked like before - you wouldn't know that I had done anything. (The texture though is definitely drier and ever-so-slightly raised, but not visibly so).

So, far, this new protocol is definitely a treatment that I can do without feeling like I need to go into seclusion. (Unlike my first experience with the first facial SK - where things definitely got red, puffy and irritated!) I even went out to run errands with no makeup on - that's how un-noticeable the "treatment" is.

I'm planning to repeat the treatment again tonight - and will report back when things start "falling off"! Laughing

Thanks again, Mpstat, for the great thread - and for giving me the power to handle this on my own!

free skin care · Thu Nov 06, 2008 2:03 pm

taobunny - this is an awsome review! Thank you! Smile

Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:00 pm

Thank you so much for all your help. I just went to a dermatologist who specializes in laser today. this dr told me "there is nothing to be done, I don't have CO2 laser here at this office, you can try another office .I left very upset. I asked her about radio surgery .she said she knows nothing about it. I do not understand why ? I am trying the hydrogen peroxide ,this stings like fire, but I am using it. It seems the last 9 months this stuff has sprung up like flowers in spring! My mom has it but not that bad.(my mom is 84)The last 9 months my son has gone through cancer treatment and during this time the Sk has spread. Well I am determined that I will get through this with the end result of clear skin. My son is a survivor and I will with this yucky stuff! Not that I am comparing the two but the SK is just plain yucko and the medical profession that I am dealing with does not seem to be interested in the etiology of this whole thing and treatment otpions. Well, that is my story so far in Connecticut USA!Again many thanks to all! I am so glad to have found this website more than you can imagine!!

free skin care · Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:29 pm

RK - it is definitely a frustrating part when doctors respond to patients that nothing cold be done about SK, and perceive it as insignificant cosmetic drawback that does not require much attention. When it is not that insignificant to those affected by SK! Those pesky things do tend to proliferate. The larger the number of SK spots, and the bigger the spots themselves the faster they spread and grow. In my mind I compare SK with fungus that can spread and grow large and thick if left untreated it will continues its attack more forceful and faster. So it seems that once the main task of getting rid of SK is completed the main thing to keep SK at a bay by treating the very moment it tries to re-appear.

I have no doubts that you (and everybody else) would be able to remove SK from your body, it is just a matter of time and finding the solution strength and treatment regimen that is the best suited for you.

free skin care · Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:39 pm

I think that for especially tough SK cases when extremely strong treatment solution needed one can use 70% Unbuffered Glycolic Acid instead of 80% hydrogen peroxide. The H2O2 article mentioned some treatments requiring hydrogen peroxide concentrations well above 35%. Since I do not know where to get 80% H2O2, and there are placed where we can get 70% glycolic acid it might be the way to go. In the majority of cases according to the article 35% H2O2 should suffice. I got my 70% Unbuffered Glycolic Acid from Cellbone long ago http://cellbone.com/Glycolicacid70.htm

free skin care · Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:17 pm

taobunny wrote:

Hi Mpstat,

Thanks again so much for posting this thread! I would have never imagined that I could deal with SKs myself at home! I might have ended up paying $$$ to my dermatologist again for laser/IPL treatments.

So, the original SK area on the face is healing up nicely. The Neosporin is helping the skin cells to migrate and close up the "wound" quite nicely. It's definitely looking far less irritated this evening.

To update (just in case other forum members are curious as to what seems to be working for me):

Last evening I decided to tackle a few more spots. Knowing that the 35% solution was far too strong for my face, I tried mixing a couple of different solutions.

1) 3 drops glycolic + 7 drops of water = 21%
2) 3 drops glycolic + 5 drops of water = 26.25%

Of course, the actual percentages vary slightly - simply because the dropper method isn't the most accurate method of dispensing. (And, glycolic acid, being thicker, tends to want to make smaller droplets - vs. water - which wants to make larger droplets.)

I found that the 21% solution was too weak - and I couldn't feel it doing anything. So, I went up to the next stronger level (26.25%) and that seemed to be the correct dosage for me. I did initially try to mask the area around each SK with Vaseline, but found it too cumbersome - and found that my body heat ended up melting the Vaseline too much - and it just got in the way. Instead, I used a very tiny (000) nylon bristled paintbrush - and very, very carefully painted on a thin layer of the solution - just on the SK itself. (I find it's better to do multiple thin layers - with a somewhat drier brush - than do a thick layer - with a wet brush - as I found that it dripped too much with a wetter brush.)

The first few layers didn't sting at all. But, I gave each layer about 5-10 minutes to dry - and then painted on another layer - for a total of about four layers. By the time I got to the third or fourth layer, it was definitely stinging - so that tells me that the acid solution had broken through the skin's lipid barrier (and possibly the outer layers of skin). I didn't put on any neutralizer afterwards. I let each spot dry completely on its own - and then went to bed.

This morning, all of my SK areas (even some really light ones, which I'm assuming are new newly forming SKs - but they might even be tiny, flat moles) were much, much darker than they were before treatment. (This is consistent with my earlier experiences - so I wasn't worried. In fact, I consider this to be an encouraging sign that things are progressing nicely.) They don't hurt - and, unless you knew what my SKs looked like before - you wouldn't know that I had done anything. (The texture though is definitely drier and ever-so-slightly raised, but not visibly so).

So, far, this new protocol is definitely a treatment that I can do without feeling like I need to go into seclusion. (Unlike my first experience with the first facial SK - where things definitely got red, puffy and irritated!) I even went out to run errands with no makeup on - that's how un-noticeable the "treatment" is.

I'm planning to repeat the treatment again tonight - and will report back when things start "falling off"! Laughing

Thanks again, Mpstat, for the great thread - and for giving me the power to handle this on my own!

This is an awesome play by play....I think I am going to hae to try this on some that I have on my legs!

free skin care · Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:34 pm

Hi Mpstat (and all!),

Okay, I've done some more research (and experimenting on myself, the human guinea pig) and wanted to take a moment to share some advice and some warnings about glycolic acid.

While I'm having some great results with the treatment I outlined in an earlier post - I feel it's necessary (having done more research AFTER the fact) to make sure that people know that glycolic acid can be dangerous - and could cause some serious side effects.

Sorry if this post is going to seem a little "textbook-ish" - but I just wanted to make sure that this information is out there - so that no one ends up attempting to use glycolic acid on their SKs and regretting it.

The following information is going to sound *awful* but I'm not doing it to scare anyone. I am quite happy with my results using glycolic acid on my SKs - but I just want to make sure that everyone has ALL the information - and can make wise and informed decisions for themselves.

So, here goes (get ready for a book length post!):

***

Glycolic acid or hydroxyacetic acid is perhaps one of the best known of the group of fruit acids known as AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids). It appears in the form of a colorless, odorless and hydroscopic crystalline solid that is highly soluble in water and related solvents.

Derived mainly from sugar cane - glycolic acid is used in lower concentrations in beauty preparations and beauty treatments. In higher concentrations it is used as an industrial de-greaser and as a leather tanning and dyeing agent. The government considers any product with a concentration of glycolic acid over 10% to be a hazardous material.

Due to its excellent capability to penetrate skin, glycolic acid finds applications in skin care products, most often as a chemical peel performed by a dermatologist in concentrations of 20%-80% or at-home kits in lower concentrations of 2-10%. It is used to improve the skin's appearance and texture. It may reduce wrinkles, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation and improve many other skin conditions.

The mechanism of action is not fully known, but GA is believed to thin the stratum corneum (outermost layer of skin) and thicken the underlying layers of skin. Once applied, GA reacts with the upper layer of the epidermis, weakening the binding properties of the lipids that hold the dead skin cells together. This allows the outer skin to "dissolve" revealing the underlying, healthier skin. This is fine if the GA only penetrates the layers of dead skin cells - however, if left unchecked, the GA can penetrate deeper - up to, and including the dermis.

GA can have a profound effect on the skin with pH changes persisting for up to 2 hours. These pH changes depends on the concentration: low 1% acid concentrations can alter the pH of the outer three layers of the stratum corneum, while higher 10% concentrations can affect the stratum corneum pH 10-20 layers deep. Following glycolic acid application to the skin, 2.4% remains on the stratum corneum, 11.6% reaches the epidermis, and 8.6% resides in the dermis. (What this means, basically, is that GA can go very deep!)

According to the "Textbook of Facial Rejuvenation" - GA is the most frequently used AHA for skin peeling. It is formulated in concentrations varying from 10% to a fully saturated solution of 70%. Peel concentrations up to, but not including, 20% can be performed by an unsupervised esthetician, but >20% concentration GA peels should be performed under the supervision of a physician.

The danger from the use of GA peels arises from the fact that the material must be neutralized or removed from the skin surface to prevent further skin damage. (Copious amounts of water can be used to wash the GA off the skin, after the required skin depth is reached - which will also serve to neutralize the GA.) Chemical burns can result from prolonged exposure to high concentrations of GA. If the GA penetrates the skin too deeply there are risks of tissue necrosis, scarring, hypopigmentation and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

GA is classified as a hazardous material (Health Rating 3 = Severe) with a Contact rating of 4 (Extreme/Corrosive). Ingestion causes irritation and burns to the digestive tract and may be harmful or fatal if swallowed. Skin contact causes irritation and burns to the skin. Eye contact can cause severe irritation or burns with eye damage and possible blindness.

GA is actually one of the reasons why ingestion of antifreeze (ethylene glycol) is so dangerous to our pets. After ingestion, ethylene glycol is rapidly metabolized in the liver into glycolic acid by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (the same enzyme people use to metabolize alcohol). The glycolic acid is then slowly metabolized into oxylate, oxalic acid and formic acid. The slow conversion rate allows large concentrations of glycolic acid to build up and causes severe irreversible damage to the kidney.

***

So, now, after all those awful warnings about glycolic acid - I'm still a big fan. But, please use with the following cautions in mind:

1) Don't stick it in your eyes.

2) Don't drink it.

3) Don't let kids or pets drink it. (And, don't let *them* stick it in *their* eyes)

4) Make sure that if you use it - you first try it with as low a concentration as possible.

5) When you use it, make sure you have access to lots of clean, cold water to rinse/neutralize with.

6) Be very conservative in using it. Try it one day - then wait a few days to see if you get the reaction or beginnings of the result you want. It may take a few days. Be patient!

7) Don't apply too many layers - or use it on too many consecutive days. GA goes deep - and it may take a few days for you to see the effects. You can always add more later - after a few days have gone by. But, if you get too aggressive, it may go too deep and do damage. Once you've gone too deep, you can't take it back.

Cool

Make sure to use sunscreen on the areas where you used GA - as any AHA makes your skin more sun-sensitive.

9) If you are dark skinned - or prone to hypo-pigmentation, use with extreme caution.

10) Before using on an obvious area (face, etc.) try testing on an inconspicuous spot first. And, once you've determined what works for you - don't forget that your facial skin (or elsewhere) may differ from your test spot and be more sensitive.

free skin care · Mon Nov 10, 2008 9:06 am

taobunny - thanks for the post! It is always important to know what one is working with, and use good judgement.

Wed Nov 12, 2008 1:41 pm

I've been lurking here for the sole purpose of following this thread. As most of the others have posted re their experience with glycolic acid, I thought I'd chime in with some details of my recent success with 35% H2O2.

I'm a 50 yr old male and I'd had two seborrheic keratoses for about 10 years. A small one on my thigh just above my knee that I didn't care about, and a big, thick one right in my sideburn area on the side of my face, which I did. Dermatologists told me the one on my face didn't show if I kept my sideburn long and thick and so didn't need to be removed ... or told me they'd take it off for a big fee not covered by insurance and perhaps leaving a scar. Nice choice. (by the way, the thing about it "not showing" was quite untrue when I saw photos of myself taken from that side.)

I searched for alternatives on the web for some time but only came up with "snake oil" type solutions that seemed unlikely to work. It wasn't until I read mpstat's excellent find -- and the patent she linked -- that it seemed like something might actually be viable.

I got a pint of 35% food grade H2O2 from Guardian of Eden. I'd have been happier if I could have bought just a couple of ounces but a pint was the smallest amount I could get. First, I tried it on the smaller SK above my knee. Basically, it turned white and stung a little. But after applying it once a day for three consecutive days, it rolled over and died. Just fell off in the shower.

Encouraged by that result, I turned to the big event on the side of my face. After reading the precautions on Guardian of Eden's site, I was paranoid about doing this so close to my eye. If you get a drop of undiluted 35% H2O2 in your eye, you're heading for the ER and possible permanent vision damage. I solved this with a small plastic test tube I had from an aquarium kit. The test tube was a little larger in diameter than the size of the SK. I put about 5 drops of the H2O2 in the test tube, tilted my head to the side, placed the tube tight against my head over the SK, and then tilted my head the other way so the contents now flowed over the SK. I kept holding the tube tightly pressed to my head so it didn't leak and also kept a folded paper towel between it and my eye in case any dribbled out.

The only figure for application time I could find in the patent was 2 minutes. So I kept the test tube of H2O2 tilted against the SK for 2 minutes, then tilted my head back the other way and removed it. No drips, no errors.

The effect it had on that big gnarly SK was quite dramatic. It fizzed, it bubbled, it turned white, it swelled up by about 50% in size. It also stung for about 15 minutes or so, but no worse than having a lit cigarette placed against your face. By the way, as a control I also dribbled a few drops on smooth skin on the inside of my arm as a test to see how it affected normal skin vs. SK. It is quite obvious that the cells of an SK are *extremely* more vulnerable to, and reactive with, the H2O2 than normal skin is. All that happened on the skin of my arm was just a white film and a minor burning effect -- nothing like the volcanic reaction on the SK.

I continued this process once a day for 5 days. By that time, the thing was extremely swollen and red and rather alarming-looking. For cosmetic reasons, I decided to back off and give it a rest for 5 days. During that time, two things happened. First, it lost its typical dirty brown color and became totally the color of pale skin. Second, when the swelling went down, it was almost half its original size. It seemed to have somehow dissolved internally or something.

After 5 days off, I hit it hard for another 5 days, once a day. During that time, it began to scab over big-time. Really ugly looking, but I knew it was finally throwing in the towel. Again, I laid off after 5 days and three days later while I was in the shower the scab started peeling off, leaving mostly only smooth, slightly reddened healthy skin underneath it. I rubbed it vigorously with a washcloth and peeled off as much as possible. There were only a few scraps of SK left. I waited another couple of days for it to recover then blasted it again for three days to obliterate the hangers-on.

After at least ten years of having that ugly blob sitting there turning darker (and reminding me of my advancing years every time I looked in the mirror!) I now have just smooth skin which is quickly losing its residual redness and becoming flesh-tone. It feels surreal to run my finger up there and not feel that sucker stuck there. I can now shave my sideburns down to match my buzzed down hair.

One of the most interesting things about 35% H2O2 (in my experience at least) is that it only consumes the SK cells. Once it ate its way through the SK and down to the normal skin, it didn't eat a hole into my skin. I just got a white haze on the normal skin, followed by a bit of a burn with some redness. But there's no flesh-eating effect on normal skin, like what it does to the SK.

A successful experience. Maybe I could have been done with it quicker if I hadn't followed the 5 days on/5 days off method and instead just blasted it non-stop for a week or so. I probably would have, if it had been somewhere that didn't show so much. Only other advice I have is to work up some safe method to protect your eyes like I did if you have to use it on your face. I'm not a doctor, your results may vary, so take all the above for what it's worth.

Thanks to Mpstat for finding this method and taking the trouble to post it in the first place and then keep the thread going thereafter, too. You've done a great service!

free skin care · Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:38 pm

surferguy - Congratulations on your wonderful success beating SK!!! Very Happy

Especially on such area as face! And thank you for such thorough description of your experience!

I laughed at the part of your testimony when you humorously compare H2O2 stinging with a lit cigarette

surferguy wrote:

... The effect it had on that big gnarly SK was quite dramatic. It fizzed, it bubbled, it turned white, it swelled up by about 50% in size. It also stung for about 15 minutes or so, but no worse than having a lit cigarette placed against your face.....

To summarize your treatment:
1. 5 days in a row - treat SK once a day with 35% Hydrogen Peroxide
2. 5 day break
3. 5 days in a row - treat SK once a day with 35% Hydrogen Peroxide
4. 5 day break - SK peeled off reveling pink new skin beneath it
5. Continue treatment for SK leftovers until it clears up completely
Note: During the first treatment liquid H2O2 was applied to SK for two minutes.

Did you apply H2O2 to SK for 2 minutes in ALL treatments?

Congratulations again!!

free skin care · Wed Nov 12, 2008 10:54 pm

I am following all of this with interest. I don't have any SK but I'm so happy to know what to do if it should appear.... Esp since mpstat says it happens to most of us.

So - it sounds like it just appears somewhere on the skin in a patch-like formation? Geez - I'll have to check out pictures. I'm not sure I've ever seen it - but I suppose I have if it's so commonplace.

Anyway - thanks mpstat for sharing all of this and helping so many people with what sounds like an embarrassing appearance. I know you've made many happy with this thread.

Bless ya,
Sis

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:54 am

Mpstat:
Yes, I kept it submerged in H2O2 from the test tube for 2 minutes for all treatments. (a) that was the only specific time I saw mentioned in the patent and (b) that was as long as I was willing to stand with my head tilted awkwardly to one side clamping a test tube to my face. But after the two minutes were up, I didn't rinse it off or do anything to neutralize it. I left it wet with the H2O2 and just let it sizzle and sting all it wanted. Drank a glass of wine - strictly for anesthetic purposes, of course - while visualizing all those SK cells getting oxidized into oblivion.

Guardian of Eden says you can keep this stuff semi-indefinitely in the frig so I'll hold on to the rest of my pint (minus the ~20 drops I actually used) in case any straggler SK bits try to stage a comeback in the future.

free skin care · Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:35 am

Me too - following this all with interest. I have a few SK spots too. I used to call them "age barnacles" but now I know they're SK. Never had them until I was 42 or so, after my DS was born. I have several on my sides, trunk area, I guess, and even though I'm not running around in a bikini, they just bug me. I've got two bumpy ones on my neck, and once I get going on this, I'm going to tackle them first. I really hate those ones. I'm wearing higher-necked tops now anyway, with the cold weather, so it won't be so noticeable during treatment and healing.

I've got one spot on the side of my nose, and I've been blasting it with some heavy-duty retinol to keep it down. Retin-A is too drying to use continuously there. The retinol is *okay* for now but doesn't get rid of it. So at some point, and depending on my reaction to H2O2, I'll tackle that spot.

My derm was sympathetic when I showed her the spots, and said she could remove them. She is, after all, a laser queen, and does a lot of resurfacing treatments, probably Botox too. But I know my insurance won't cover any of that, and it's big $$$$ !

Sigh, so many projects, so little time! Thanks, everyone, for sharing your experiences!

free skin care · Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:16 pm

Thanks all for appreciating my contribution to this topic!!!

When I discovered a solution to this problem, and it worked for me I was overjoyed! … and was thinking that there are so many people out there spending hours on internet searching for a solution, and getting frustrated instead! Some of the participants on this thread found it by searching internet for cure against SK, and I am glad they found this thread. I am very happy that the information was helpful to people, and enabled us to fight SK.

Thanks again!! Smile

free skin care · Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:28 pm

Surferguy - that is a good idea to keep thick, and rough SK submerged into liquid H2O2 solution for a couple of minutes, and then let it be without neutralizing. It should be waaay more effective then applying a thin layer of H2O2!

I was also amazed that the treatments impacted only SK, and did not destroy healthy skin! It makes H2O2 and glycolic acid methods even more attractive.

Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:19 pm

Just happened on this thread and will try some of the ideas for SKs.

I wonder if Jerriogg is still around? I have DSAP too, plus some SKs. Word is, as long as I have known and been looking (5 yrs) that nothing helps DSAP except staying out of the sun entirely, and then it just pales a bit but never goes away.

There may be some of you who find that these methods don't work on some spots. DSAP appears all of a sudden at around 30-40 and consists of multiple reddish to tan, flat rounded to ovoid spots usually on the lower legs and arms. They often look dry close up and have a characteristic edge to them. Sun exposure is associated but radiation can bring it on even in the sun avoidant. For some reason they usually are not found on the face. They can be found on the trunk but much much less often than the legs and arms.

I have found that irritating the damn things makes them more obvious, and they don't respond to anything less than removal down to the dermal layer, then they scar. Some hope for help from the newer psoriasis treatments but I have not heard of any definite successes.

A lot of dermatologists don't even diagnose them, they can look like actinic keratoses that are precancerous but they are histologically different and rarely become cancer.

Sorry for the long post but I just thought if people apply treatments to large areas and have some DSAP they may be disappointed by the worsened appearance and lack of response.

free skin care · Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:56 pm

Planti wrote:

Just happened on this thread and will try some of the ideas for SKs.

I wonder if Jerriogg is still around? I have DSAP too, plus some SKs. Word is, as long as I have known and been looking (5 yrs) that nothing helps DSAP except staying out of the sun entirely, and then it just pales a bit but never goes away.

There may be some of you who find that these methods don't work on some spots. DSAP appears all of a sudden at around 30-40 and consists of multiple reddish to tan, flat rounded to ovoid spots usually on the lower legs and arms. They often look dry close up and have a characteristic edge to them. Sun exposure is associated but radiation can bring it on even in the sun avoidant. For some reason they usually are not found on the face. They can be found on the trunk but much much less often than the legs and arms.

I have found that irritating the damn things makes them more obvious, and they don't respond to anything less than removal down to the dermal layer, then they scar. Some hope for help from the newer psoriasis treatments but I have not heard of any definite successes.

A lot of dermatologists don't even diagnose them, they can look like actinic keratoses that are precancerous but they are histologically different and rarely become cancer.

Sorry for the long post but I just thought if people apply treatments to large areas and have some DSAP they may be disappointed by the worsened appearance and lack of response.

So Planti are you saying that you tried the H2O2 on your DSAP and it didn't clear it up but made it worse? What does DSAP stand for?

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