Solar Keratosis -A Precancerous Skin Condition
This precancerous skin condition is caused by severe sun damage to the skin. Since, we know that the sun is the number one enemy of our skin, we should be aware of the dangers of this condition if we are to have healthy beautiful skin. This condition is called solar keratosis and is premalignant. That means, if left untreated this condition could lead to squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. This skin damage can also be known as actinic keratosis or AK. Anyone is at risk of developing actinic keratosis but the people who are at the most risk are fair-skinned and spend a lot of time in the sun. This constant exposure causes skin damage which over time can develop into actinic keratosis.
Exposure to the sun causes sun damage to areas of exposed skin. - The skin may become thick, scaly, or have crusty bumps.
- The scaly or crusty part of the bump is dry and rough like sandpaper.
- The growths start out as flat scaly areas, and later grow into a tough, wart-like area.
The actinic keratosis area is usually 2 to 6 millimeters in size, and can be dark or light, tan, pink, red, a combination of all these, or have the same pigment as the surrounding skin. These areas may appear on any part of the body that is constantly exposed to the sun and is prone to sun damage such as the face, ears, neck, scalp, chest, backs of hands, forearms, or lips. It is in these areas that we find cancer develop first due to the type of damage that leads to precancerous skin cells.
Ways to prevent sun damaged skin or actinic keratosis:- Try and reduce sun exposure and protect your skin from the sun.
Make sure to wear protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeved shirts, long skirts, or pants.- Try to stay out of the sun during the midday, when ultraviolet light is most intense.
Use good-quality sunscreens, preferably with SPF (sun protection factor) ratings of at least 15. - Pick a sunscreen that blocks both UBA and UVB light.
Remember to apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going out into the sun, and reapply frequently.- Make sure to use sunscreen year-round, including in the winter.
Growths may be removed by:- Burning (electrical cautery)
Freezing (cryotherapy)- the affected area is frozen with liquid nitrogen
- Surgery
- Medications that cause the skin to peel or come off.
- Lasers and other light sources have been used to treat AK.
- Creams such as 5-fluorouracil and imiquimod are used for people who have many lesions. These creams usually cause irritation and redness.
- Photodynamic therapy is a newer form of therapy that involves a chemical being injected intothe bloodstream. This chemical gathers in the actenic keratosis making it more sensitive to exposure to a special form of light.
Solar keratosis is in itself benign, however, it can develop into
skin cancer
if left untreated.It is important to remember that it is a slow process for solar keratosis to develop into skin cancer. So to keep our skin beautiful and healthy we must always be aware of any changes to our skin.
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