Cryosurgery. General practice (GP) doctor removing skin growths from an elderly woman's stomach. Liquid nitrogen is applied to the affected area and destroys the skin tissue by freezing it. Skin growths are removed if they are large or if there is a risk of malignancy (cancer). A common cause of skin growth in the elderly is keratosis, caused by the overproduction of the skin protein keratin. This can be benign or malignant. Other types of growth include squamous papilloma, which develops from epithelial tissue, and keratoacanthoma, a harmless skin nodule.