Spot Treat Facial Keratosis
Keratosis appears in the form of growths on the skin. It can come up in different colors; it can be red, pink, or brown in color. The skin condition normally has a scaly look. It is almost always dry, crusty and rough in appearance. A times, the keratosis can have an itchy effect on the skin. Scratching it is however not the best thing to do. If you scratch it, it will cause more damage and some bleeding may occur, a bleeding keratosis can be more complicated to treat.
With time, keratosis tends to increase in size & can actually spread. Some of the places where the skin condition can appear include the ears, legs, back, the scalp, the face and even the nose & lips. These are the areas of the body that are exposed to the sun more often. Its appearance can also be either raised or flat.
Actinic keratosis can lead to cancer. In fact, its presence on the skin is an indication of cancerous cells. This is why this skin condition must be treated very early so as to avoid the cancerous cells from spreading to other parts of the body. When you notice a new lesion or mark on your skin, you should ask a doctor to check it as soon as possible.
Actinic Keratosis Treatment
The usual method of removing actinic keratosis is by surgical removal – the lesion and surrounding tissue are literally cut out of the skin. In the case of a facial keratosis this is not ideal as the patient is left with a scar. Some topical creams have been specially designed to treat actinic keratosis. The main ingredient in these topical creams is 5-florouracil. This substance has a way of killing the cancerous cells right from within, without damaging the healthy skin. When you apply it on the skin condition, the keratosis will become extremely red and angry but will heal without scarring.
Usually treatment is recommended for a fortnight but in the case of multiple or severe keratoses it can be up to six weeks.
Seborrheic Keratosis Treatment
Seborrheic keratosis is not cancerous. Although it can actually look worse than actinic keratosis, due to the waxy brown growths. Seborrheic keratosis can be treated easily at home by using H2O2. Daily application will dry out the SK resulting in a scab forming which will fall off naturally. You can easily spot treat a facial keratosis by using a q-tip to apply the liquid.
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