Actinic Keratosis
What is an actinic keratosis?
Actinic keratoses are rough scaly bumps that appear in sun exposed areas (scalp, face, chest, arms, hands and legs) that result from chronic sun exposure. Typically actinic keratoses appear red or pink and tend to itch or feel tender.
Do you need to treat actinic keratoses?
Actinic keratoses are precancerous lesions. If left untreated for many years, a small percentage can evolve into skin cancer (specifically squamous cell carcinoma).
How do you treat these precancerous lesions?
Typical treatments for actinic keratoses include liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, topical medications such as efudex and aldara, and photodynamic therapy.
Can you prevent actinic keratoses?
Wearing sunscreen daily (spf 30 or greater) and sun protective clothing will decrease your incidence of these precancerous lesions.
Actinic keratoses are rough scaly bumps that appear in sun exposed areas (scalp, face, chest, arms, hands and legs) that result from chronic sun exposure. Typically actinic keratoses appear red or pink and tend to itch or feel tender.
Do you need to treat actinic keratoses?
Actinic keratoses are precancerous lesions. If left untreated for many years, a small percentage can evolve into skin cancer (specifically squamous cell carcinoma).
How do you treat these precancerous lesions?
Typical treatments for actinic keratoses include liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, topical medications such as efudex and aldara, and photodynamic therapy.
Can you prevent actinic keratoses?
Wearing sunscreen daily (spf 30 or greater) and sun protective clothing will decrease your incidence of these precancerous lesions.
