Aliens and Skin Barnacles

I went to visit grandchildren last year, and my ten-year-old grandson immediately wanted to show me something really scary. I followed him to the upstairs bathroom. He cautiously opened the door and pointed to the far sink. He didn’t want to go any further himself. I stepped in, and there in the basin were rocks. I looked at the youngster and then reached out toward the rocks. He shouted, “No, don’t touch those. Something is growing on them, and they might poison you.” I quickly withdrew my hand and looked closer. He warned me again, adding, “Aliens touched them.” “Where did they come from,” I asked, “And who put them there?” He told me his older sister emptied her fish tank and put the rocks in the sink. “I haven’t seen her all day,” he added. He said he was afraid the rocks had something to do with her not being around. I assured him I didn’t think that was the case and further that the rocks had barnacle looking growths on them, akin to things that grow over time underwater. I explained to him that I had seen like growths on boats and that his sister was no doubt out having fun with friends.

What I didn’t tell him, fearing he’d never want to hug me again, is that I had similar growths on my body. My dermatologist called them seborrheic keratoses, also called barnacles of aging.

Seborrheic keratoses may be light tan to brown or black. The most common texture is rough, with a bumpy, grainy surface that crumbles easily. However, they also may be smooth and waxy. Some are tiny; others grow larger than 3 cm in diameter. They are often mistaken for warts, moles, skin tags, or skin cancer. They tend to run in some families so inheritance may play a role.

They are benign skin growths that some people develop as they age and can occur on any part of the body. They grow slowly in groups or singly. A dermatologist can freeze them with liquid nitrogen, scrape them off with a special instrument, burn them off with an electric current or vaporize the skin with a laser. There is also a cream that can be prescribed and applied regularly to deal with the little critters.

There are several home remedies. One involves soaking the area with apple cider vinegar using a cotton ball then securing it with a bandage. Remove the cotton ball after about 10 to 15 minutes. Follow up by washing the area with soap and warm water, then allow the area to dry. Repeat this process daily for two weeks.

The point I want to make here is that we can moan and complain about this skin issue or we can do something about it, which might include living with it. I opted for the prescription from the doctor and it worked very well.

My daughter-in-law is a Master Herbalist and told me there are many holistic methods that also work without relying on western medicine. I’ll be writing more posts about that line of thinking in the coming months.