Actinic Keratosis: How To Identify And Treat One
Actinic keratosis can be identified by the bumps or patches that can be seen elevated and flattened on the skin with think, crusty, or scaly surface. This kind of condition is also known as senile keratosis and solar keratosis. In layman’s term, it can be called sun spot or precancerous spot. Skin experts shorten this condition as “AK”. Its measure ranges from that of a pinhead up to more than an inch across. Its color may be light or dark, pink, red, tan, or a combination of these colors.
One can easily recognize actinic keratosis by means of touch rather than sight. The crust or the scale that is formed by this condition is like a horn, rough, and dry. A sharply painful sensation can be felt when one has this. If the person is highly exposed to the sun, he may feel itchiness. Body parts that are most of the time exposed to the sun are where actinic keratoses may exhibit in clusters. These common areas are face, bald scalp, ears, backs of hands, neck, lips, and forearms.
This kind of condition is dangerous as it may be a manifestation of cancer in the skin. Provided that the spots are detected immediately and undergo proper treatment, skin cancer is not life-threatening. If actinic keratoses are not attended medically, they have the tendency to grow larger and be infected as it invade the tissues that surround it.
Damage coming from the sun to the skin can be accumulated over time. One thing to consider is the bouncing off of ultraviolet rays on surfaces that reflect. Most prone to this condition are those who have fair skins. Susceptible alike are those who have blonde or red hair, and gray, blue, or green eyes. This is due to the lack of pigments that protects their skin from sunburn. Dark-colored skins may likewise be affected by this condition.
Several kinds of treatments can be suggested for the treatment of actinic keratosis. Nevertheless, not all actinic keratosis necessitates removal. Cryosurgery is one method that is commonly used by skin experts. This is done through applying liquid nitrogen which in turn freezes off lesions. An applicator with a cotton tip or a specially-made spraying device is applied for this matter.
Those who have many lesions are medicated with topical cream. Another mode is through chemical peels or curettage where scraping of lesion is done.
It is recommended to see a dermatologist if you need to know more about this skin condition and for you to treat them properly.
