A Keratosis

A keratosis (plural keratoses) is a skin condition in which there is an abnormal growth of tissue in certain areas of the skin. It leads to growth of small, dry, scaly and crusty lesions that are found mostly in areas that are frequently exposed to the sun. Seborrheic keratosis lesions are harmless and non-cancerous but they make the skin look ugly with large brown growths. Actinic keratosis is less obvious on the skin but can be precancerous and this must be treated as quickly as possible by a doctor or dermatologist. People with light complexions are more susceptible to these keratoses. A keratosis will barely be noticed in the early stages. It is hardly noticed by sight when starting. It begins as a small rash that grows gradually until it reaches a size of about three to six millimeters when it can be termed as fully grown.

A keratosis is believed to be caused by ultraviolet rays from sunlight due to the high probability of the lesions to be found in areas that are exposed to the sun like the bald head, the back of the neck, face, ears, back of the hands and the forearms.

A keratosis does not have a vaccination that will assure you of prevention but one sure way of being safe is simply ensuring that exposure of the skin to the sun’s rays is very minimal since they are the main causes of the condition.

Application of sunscreen is a good way of ensuring that over exposure of the suns rays to the skin is minimal. It should be applied to the face, ears, back of the neck, back of the hands, forearms and any other skin surface that would normally come to contact with the sun. Hats can also be used to cover the head in the event that the person has a bald head since it is one part of the body that hugely suffers from exposure to the sun’s rays.

A keratosis can be treated in many ways some surgical, others complex methods to be handled only by qualified doctors and others simple home remedies. The home remedies to remove a keratosis include the use of glycolic acid spray, liquid nitrogen and the use of blood root. Glycolic acid can be dangerous when used on the face hence it is discouraged for application on the face but it works very well in removing a keratosis on most of the other parts of the body. It might also sting a little bit on the first application but will soon be tolerable.

Liquid nitrogen and Glycolic acid can be irritable when removing a keratosis on some skin types hence it is advisable to consult a doctor before application.

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