Actinic Keratosis: How To Identify And Treat One
Posted by Reporter on Wednesday
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Actinic keratosis is a kind of premalignant condition that is identified by patches or bumps that are usually flat and raised, scaly, thick, or crusty. Other terms used to pertain to this condition are senile keratosis and solar keratosis. In common term, it can be called sun spot or precancerous spot. Skin experts shorten this condition as “AK”. From the size of a pinhead up to more than once inch across, its sizes can vary. 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 scale or the crust is horn-like, dry and rough. Most of the time, they produce a pricking sensation. Those individuals who have the propensity to be exposed to the sun, itchiness can be experienced. Many actinic keratoses have the tendency to exhibit in groups in body parts that are exposed to the sun most of the time. 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. Just as much as 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. Ultraviolet rays can be acquired as they bounce off reflective surfaces. Susceptible to this condition are those who have fair skins. Moreover, People who have red or blonde hair, and those who have blue, green, or gray eyes are responsive to this condition. This is so because they have lesser pigments that protect their skins that are repulsive to sunburn. However, the development of actinic keratosis can also occur to dark-skinned people who have utmost exposure to the sun without proper protection.
Actinic keratosis can be treated by means of several kinds of treatment. Nonetheless, removal of all actinic keratoses is not always needed. One of the most typical treatment is called cryosurgery. By means of liquid nitrogen application, lesions are frozen off. A special spray device of a cotton-tipped applicator is utilized here.
Those who have many lesions are medicated with keratosis removal cream. Another method 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.
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