Our patient came to us with a long standing Seborrhoeic Keratosis that had developed over the course of approximately 10 years. He underwent successful laser treatment at our Leeds clinic, performed by Dr Andrew Smith.
“For over a decade, I lived with a Seborrhoeic Keratosis on my scalp – an unsightly, often itchy patch of skin that slowly grew larger over time. I kept hoping it would eventually go away on its own, but after ten years, it had only become more noticeable. Each time I got a haircut, I could sense the barber struggling to work around it and that just added to the embarrassment. Eventually, I knew something had to be done.
On the day of the procedure, I felt a little nervous, mostly about whether it would hurt. But more than anything, I was relieved to finally be taking care of it. After so long, it felt good to know I was doing something about a problem that had quietly affected my confidence for years.
To my surprise, the procedure was completely painless. There were no issues at all on the day, and the recovery was smooth and straightforward. For the first few days, it felt like I’d lightly grazed the skin, but it didn’t hurt. I followed the aftercare instructions carefully, applying the ointment as directed. By the end of the first week, the wound had almost healed and had stopped oozing fluid. Two weeks in, it was completely healed over, just slightly pink in colour, but otherwise unnoticeable.
Now that it’s behind me, I’m genuinely happy with how everything turned out. I feel much more confident about my appearance. I use factor 50 sunblock on the area when I’m outside since new skin can be sensitive to sunlight, but otherwise I hardly think about it anymore.
Some might see removing a Seborrhoeic Keratosis as a cosmetic decision. But for me, it was about feeling good in my own skin again. I only wish this treatment had been available on the NHS, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. Years ago, my GP had offered to surgically remove it, but I turned that down because I was worried about scarring and the effect on my hairline. This treatment, has left no scar at all – just a bit of pinkness that’s already fading. Even better, the hair follicles weren’t damaged and my hair is growing back normally.
If you’re considering having it done, I’d say if you can afford it, just go for it.
I also want to say that the experience at the clinic made a big difference. The place was clean and modern, with plenty of parking, which made things easy. The staff were friendly, welcoming and took the time to explain everything clearly. Their professionalism really helped put me at ease.”
