What can be done to fix my unsightly blemishes?

QI’M 84 and very fit, but have little brown raised spots on my skin. They’re painless but unsightly. I’ve tried Dermol and QV creams to no effect. Could you suggest anything that might help?

AHow frustrating! The creams you mention are for itchy skin conditions such as eczema; they’re not the right course of action.

on the basis of your description, dermatologist Dr Firas AlNiaimi ( drfirasalniaimi.co.uk) thinks you have seborrheic keratosis, which is harmless but can multiply with age.

‘The NHS stopped treating these years ago, but a dermadermatologist tologist can remove them privately by freezing them with cryotherapy, shaving them off with a scalpel or lasering them off,’ he says.

It’s important you see a for diagnosis anyway, he says. ‘I’ve picked up a few skin cancers over the years that were referred as keratosis.’

There’s no need to worry unduly but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Costs for removal, he says, ‘depend on the number of lesions and the method chosen, but typically would start at about £350.’

Dr Al-Niaimi practises in London ( drwassimtaktouk.com) among other places, but for a dermatologist or any specialist in your area, doctify.com is a reliable place to look.