what is an age wart

 An age wart is not pretty, but it is usually harmless. It occurs when excess callus builds up in the top layer of the skin. So they are not "real" warts , that is, they are caused by viruses . The brownish or black skin lesion, also known medically as verrucae seborrhoicae, seborrheic keratosis or senile wart, is the most common benign skin tumor.

Age warts usually develop in the second half of life. In rare cases, they appear before the age of 50. Men and women are equally affected.

Age warts prefer to like it sunny. Accordingly, they often sprout in areas exposed to light such as the front of the arm or leg, the back of the hand or the upper body. Age warts on the face are particularly annoying. Because the small growths are not always brightly colored, but also sometimes have a noticeable brown or almost black pigmentation. The darker the age wart, the more melanin has been deposited in it. This is the name of the pigment that gives skin and hair color.

Senile warts can take different forms. Experts differentiate, for example:

• the also benign melanocanthoma, a very dark variant.
• the non-pigmented, flat stucco keratosis, which often "blooms" in small spots on the lower legs and back of the foot.
• the reddened painful Verruca seborrhoica irritata.
• the reader-Trélat syndrome. Here, many, mostly itchy, age warts suddenly appear, which are not dangerous in themselves, but often accompany malignant tumors (e.g. cancer).

Age warts: this is what they look like

In the beginning, an age wart is usually comparatively flat and smooth. Later on, the matt surface often shows up as field or fissured. Age warts are clearly separated from the skin around them, their outline is never jagged or frayed. The age wart feels oily, greasy, or sebum. The skin appearance can appear singly or in dozens.

Over the years, the age wart can grow in height and diameter. Usually it does not exceed a centimeter, but there are also specimens that are the size of the palm of your hand. There are different forms of appearance from broad and yellowish-brown to light gray and cherry-sized to flat and whitish.

Age warts are flat and smooth spots that are clearly separated from the skin. Age warts can vary in color and shape - from light to dark, from round to oval to an irregular shape

Age wart: the causes are unclear

In itself, the term "wart" is wrong. For one, an aging wart is not caused by viruses. On the other hand, age warts are not pigment marks, but corneal deposits. So they do not arise because the melanocytes, the cells that are responsible for pigment formation in the skin, multiply. Rather, excess callus is deposited on top of the skin.

It is still unclear why excess callus is concentrated in some areas on the upper layer of the skin. Experts suspect a genetic predisposition. The small, benign skin tumors are at least not caused by viruses like the real warts (verrucae). An age wart is therefore not contagious. 

Remove age warts

Age warts usually do not cause any symptoms. So if the skin nodule doesn't bother you, it doesn't necessarily have to be removed. However, if the old age wart is in an inconvenient part of the body where it can easily tear and bleed (e.g. if a sweater cuff rubs or if you rub a towel over it), you should part with the annoying bump. The same applies if the doctor cannot safely rule out that it is a malignant growth such as black skin cancer .

This is how the doctor removes age warts

The doctor, usually a dermatologist (dermatologist), knows different ways to treat an old age wart. Freezing, scraping and laser removal are classic methods.

Freezing (cryotherapy): A simple and inexpensive variant that does not leave any scars. When freezing, the doctor treats the wart with liquid nitrogen. The cold causes ice crystals to form in the cells and they die. Each session costs between around five and ten euros.

Scraping (curettage): With this method, which costs around 20 euros, the dermatologist numbs the affected skin area. Then he scrapes the old age wart off the skin with a special, sharp spoon. This method takes a long time to heal, which is why it is now considered obsolete.

Laser treatment: The old age wart is irradiated under local anesthesia, which vaporizes the skin tissue. The wound will heal quickly, but a small scar may remain. This option is the most expensive at a little more than 50 to slightly over 100 euros per session.

The actual cost depends on where the doctor has his practice, how exactly he treats the wart and how many growths there are. The costs are based on the official fee schedule for doctors (GOÄ). Statutory health insurance companies cover the costs of removing an old age wart, by the way, not if this is done for purely cosmetic reasons.