How can you tell seborrheic keratosis (age spots) from a mole?

Key points

1. (1).

   Seborrheic keratosis is not a pigment stain but a benign growth of built-up surface skin cells, whereas a mole is a cluster of mole cells.

2. (2).

   A survey of 2,038 people aged 60+ in one Shanghai community (2011 data) found seborrheic keratosis in everyone and skin cancer in 3.8%, but it is data from one region in China, not Korean figures.

3. (3).

   In a 2024 study of 503 Koreans biopsied for suspected flat warts, the average age of those confirmed with seborrheic keratosis was 39.3, and only 26.2% turned out to be flat warts versus 34.6% seborrheic keratosis.

4. (4).

   Melanomas that mimic seborrheic keratosis are often hard even for experienced doctors to distinguish, though how often they occur is unknown, and early melanoma on the face, scalp and neck is difficult to identify even with a dermatoscope.

5. (5).

   There is no medical need to remove seborrheic keratosis; removal is cosmetic, and the review ranks no removal method above another. The first step is confirming that it really is a seborrheic keratosis.

When to see a doctor

Have it checked by a dermatologist if its size, color or shape changes noticeably within 3 months, if it grows quickly, shows mixed colors or ragged edges, bleeds or oozes without being touched, or if many appear suddenly.

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