Outlook

Actinic keratoses that have been treated usually go away, but it islikely that more patches will develop, requiring further treatment.

The development of actinic keratoses is a sign that the underlying skin is damaged from many years of sun exposure, and this cannot be reversed. It means you have ahigher than average risk of developing skin cancer.

However, theexact chancesofactinic keratoses developing into skin cancerare not clear. Some research has suggested the chances of a patch becoming cancerous areless than1 in 1,000 every year, whereas other studies suggest the overall chances ofactinic keratoses becoming cancerous may beas high as 1 in 10.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018