Mr. Onur Gilleard
Qualifications & Experience
Mr Onur Gilleard is a distinguished consultant plastic surgeon on the GMC specialist register. He previously held an NHS consultant post at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, specialising in skin cancer and microsurgical reconstruction. In 2021, Mr Gilleard transitioned from the NHS to dedicate himself fully to private practice, allowing him to focus exclusively on providing personalised, high-quality care to his patients. He is recognised as an expert in laser treatments, having conducted research and developed advanced treatment protocols using cutting-edge laser technology to optimise both clinical outcomes and cosmetic results.
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A seborrheic keratosis, sometimes called a skin barnacle or age wart, is a very common benign (non-cancerous) skin growth with a characteristic waxy, “stuck-on” look. It is harmless and not contagious, but many people have one removed because it catches on clothing or jewellery, itches, or simply because they do not like the look of it. The most important first step is having a consultant confirm it really is a seborrheic keratosis and not a skin cancer, because the two can look alike. It is then removed with a quick in-clinic procedure, most often a shave excision under local anaesthetic. At London Skin Clinic removal is £300 for the first growth and £200 for each additional one (consultation £100). This guide explains what they are, whether they are dangerous, the removal options, recovery, and cost.
What a Seborrheic Keratosis Is
A seborrheic keratosis is a benign overgrowth of the surface skin cells. They are extremely common from around the age of 40 onwards, which is why they are nicknamed “age warts”, though they are not actually warts and are not caused by a virus. Typical features:
- A waxy, “stuck-on” look, as if a small piece has been glued to the skin.
- Colour from pale tan to dark brown or almost black, sometimes within the same growth.
- A rough or warty surface, flat or slightly raised, from a few millimetres to a couple of centimetres.
- Often more than one, commonly on the chest, back, face, scalp or neck.
They are harmless and not contagious. The reason this page keeps stressing “benign” is that the real value of a specialist visit is the diagnosis, as covered next. If you are not sure what your growth is, our guide to why seborrheic keratoses appear explains the causes.
Are They Dangerous? Telling Them From Skin Cancer
“An ‘age wart’ that bleeds, itches, grows quickly, or simply looks different from its neighbours is the one I want to see the same week.”
A seborrheic keratosis itself is not dangerous and does not turn into cancer. The important caveat is that it can look very similar to a melanoma or other skin cancer, especially when it is dark or changing. This is exactly why a growth should be assessed by a consultant who can examine it closely, often with dermoscopy, and confirm the diagnosis. A classic, stuck-on, warty growth is not routinely sent for testing; one that is rapidly growing, ulcerated or has an unusual appearance is removed and sent for histology (£180). And if a growth genuinely cannot be told apart from a melanoma, we excise it and send it for testing rather than leave it or simply “burn it off”. The full comparison is in our core guide, seborrheic keratosis vs melanoma.
One specific situation is worth knowing: the sudden appearance of many seborrheic keratoses at once (a pattern called the sign of Leser-Trélat) is uncommon and should be reviewed by a doctor, as rarely it can be associated with an internal health problem. A single new growth is not a concern in this way, but a sudden crop deserves a check.
Why People Have Them Removed
Removal is a personal choice once the growth is confirmed benign. The usual reasons:
- Irritation: a raised growth that catches and snags on clothing, jewellery, razors or a comb (a common reason for ones on the scalp or trunk). See managing irritation.
- Itching or inflammation of the growth.
- Cosmetic: growths on the face or other visible areas.
- Diagnostic certainty: removing and testing a growth that cannot be confidently distinguished from something more serious.
How They Are Removed
A seborrheic keratosis sits only in the top layer of the skin (the epidermis), which is why it can be removed cleanly with a quick procedure. At London Skin Clinic it is always done under local anaesthetic (lidocaine), and the method is chosen to suit the growth:
- Shave excision (the default): because the growth is so superficial, it is shaved off with a scalpel under local anaesthetic, then dressed with Kaltostat. This gives precise depth control, no stitches, an excellent cosmetic result and a low recurrence rate, which is why it is the first choice.
- CO2 laser: used for larger or recurrent growths, because it lets the surgeon work a little deeper and reduces bleeding.
- Cryotherapy (freezing): reserved for very small growths, under about 0.5 cm.
Shave excision is preferred because laser and cryotherapy carry a slightly higher risk of lightening the skin (hypopigmentation) and scarring. Up to about 10 growths can be treated in one session, limited mainly by the safe amount of local anaesthetic. The decision is made at your consultation; for an overview of the choices see the best treatment for seborrheic keratosis.
“Such a lovely clinic. Came in to have a skin lesion treated. Dr Gilleard made me feel so comfortable, it was all very quick and easy, and I am so pleased with the results.”
Deeyana P., verified Google review
Recovery, Scarring and Whether They Grow Back
Recovery is quick and the timeline depends on the method:
- Shave excision: the Kaltostat dressing stays on for about 3 days while a scab forms; the scab falls off after 5 to 7 days, leaving a pink mark that fades to normal skin colour within 2 to 3 weeks.
- CO2 laser: Vaseline is applied and the wound left uncovered; a scab forms within 24 hours and falls off after 4 to 7 days, with the pink area settling to normal colour within 3 to 4 weeks.
- Cryotherapy: the spot turns into a dark crust within 2 days that falls off within a week, leaving a pink base; the redness fades over about 3 weeks. In darker skin types some lightening (hypopigmentation) can occur, usually with no visible mark by around 2 months.
Full timings are in seborrheic keratosis removal healing time.
A properly removed seborrheic keratosis usually does not grow back in the same place: recurrence is about 5% with shave excision, 2% with CO2 laser and 10% with cryotherapy. If you are prone to them you may still develop new ones elsewhere over time, which is normal; see do seborrheic keratoses grow back?
Can You Get Seborrheic Keratoses Removed on the NHS?
The honest answer patients deserve before they spend months trying: almost never. Seborrheic keratoses are benign, so the NHS classes their removal as cosmetic and does not fund it for appearance. The exceptions are narrow — genuine diagnostic uncertainty (where the priority is excluding melanoma, not cosmesis) or a lesion that repeatedly bleeds or catches — and even then provision varies by area. In our practice, roughly 70% of seborrheic keratosis patients have tried the NHS route first. One thing a private assessment buys beyond the removal itself: a proper dermoscopic check of the lesion before anything is treated — the step that occasionally turns a cosmetic appointment into an early melanoma diagnosis, as our SK vs melanoma guide explains. And if you were about to try the home route instead, read our remedy-by-remedy verdict first — it will save your skin some experiments.
Darker Skin: the Technique Changes, the Price Does Not
In darker skin the enemy is pigment change, not scarring — so the method shifts. We avoid cryotherapy entirely (the risk of permanent pigment alteration is real) and use fine-tip electrocautery or a gentle low-energy shave instead, often starting with a small test area to see how your skin responds. Healing happens under strict sun protection, and where risk warrants it we prescribe hydroquinone cream before and after treatment to reduce the chance of hyperpigmentation. The pricing structure is unchanged.
Cost
- Consultation: £100 (separate, and not redeemable against the procedure)
- Removal, first growth: £300
- Each additional growth in the same session: £200
- Histology, where needed: £180
Many lesions? For extensive clearance — ten or more — we do not count per lesion: a capped package price is agreed at consultation, typically £900–£1,500 for a full-back clearance, as one figure up front. A recent example: a 65-year-old patient had ten lesions cleared from their back in a single session under local anaesthetic, healed within two weeks with hardly any visible scarring. Across roughly 500 SK removals a year, that session shape is routine for us.
A consultant confirms the diagnosis and gives you the exact cost in writing before anything proceeds, so a session treating several growths is priced clearly up front. Book a consultation.
The Barnacle Threads: Reddit’s Questions, a Surgeon’s Answers
“GP says they’re harmless and nothing can be done. Is that really the end of it?”
“Harmless” is correct; “nothing can be done” means “nothing will be funded”. Removal is quick, low-drama minor surgery — the NHS simply classes it as cosmetic. Around 70% of the SK patients we treat arrived after exactly this conversation. The medicine is settled; the question is only who pays.
“I got quoted per-lesion and I have over thirty. That maths is horrifying.”
Per-lesion maths breaks down at volume, which is why it should not be applied at volume. For extensive clearance we agree a capped package at consultation — typically £900–£1,500 for a full back — and plan the sessions within the safe limits of local anaesthetic. Thirty lesions is a project, not a multiplication.
“If I remove the ones I have, will new ones stop appearing?”
No — and any clinic promising otherwise is selling weather control. Removal permanently clears the lesions treated (about 5% regrow after shave); the tendency to form new ones elsewhere is written into your skin type and the years ahead. Most patients settle into an easy rhythm: a clearance session when enough newcomers have accumulated to bother them.
Your Questions, Answered
- Will the NHS remove seborrheic keratoses?
- Almost never for appearance — they are benign, so removal is classed as cosmetic. Narrow exceptions exist for diagnostic uncertainty or lesions that repeatedly bleed or catch, varying by area. About 70% of our SK patients tried the NHS first; a private assessment also includes a dermoscopic check of the lesion.
- I have many lesions — how is that priced?
- Not per lesion. For extensive clearance (ten or more) we agree a capped package price at the consultation — typically £900–£1,500 for a full-back clearance — with sessions planned within the safe limits of local anaesthetic, up to about ten lesions per visit.
- Is a seborrheic keratosis dangerous?
- No. A seborrheic keratosis is a benign growth that does not turn into cancer. The only caveat is that it can look like a melanoma, so it should be confirmed by a consultant, and removed and tested if there is any doubt.
- Is it the same as a wart?
- No. Despite the nickname “age wart”, a seborrheic keratosis is not a true wart and is not caused by a virus, so it is not contagious. It is an overgrowth of the surface skin cells.
- How is a seborrheic keratosis removed?
- With a quick procedure under local anaesthetic. The default is a shave excision, where the growth is shaved off with a scalpel and dressed, giving precise depth control, no stitches and a low recurrence rate. Larger or recurrent growths may be treated with CO2 laser, and very small ones (under about 0.5 cm) with cryotherapy.
- Will it grow back after removal?
- Usually not in the same place. Recurrence is about 5% with shave excision, 2% with CO2 laser and 10% with cryotherapy. If you are prone to them you may still get new ones elsewhere over time, which is normal.
- How much does seborrheic keratosis removal cost?
- £300 for the first growth and £200 for each additional growth treated in the same session, after a £100 consultation. Histology, where it is needed, is £180.
- Should I worry if lots appear suddenly?
- A single new growth is not a concern, but the sudden appearance of many at once is worth a doctor’s review, as rarely it can be linked to an internal health problem.
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