Solar keratoses
Actinic keratoses, also known as solar keratoses, aredry scaly patches of skin caused by damagefrom years of sun exposure.
The patchescan be pink, red or brown in colour, and can vary in size from a few millimetres to a few centimetres across.
The skin in affected areas can sometimes become very thick, and occasionally the patches can look like small horns or spikes.
Actinic keratoses are found on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun, such as the:
The patchesare usually harmless and sometimes get better on their own, but they can be sore,itchy and look unsightly. There is alsoa small risk that the patches could develop into a type of skin cancer called Squamous cell carcinoma if they're not treated.
You should see your GP if you think you may haveactinic keratoses, so they can discuss treatment options with you.
Actinic keratoses, also known as solar keratoses, are dry scaly patches of skin caused by damage from years of sun exposure.
Actinic keratoses are most commonly seenin fair-skinned people, especially those with blue eyes, red hair, freckles and a tendency to burn easily in the sun.Men are affected more often than women. Pe
Your GP may be able to diagnose actinic keratoses by examining the patches on your skin. In some cases, the diagnosis may need to be confirmed byremovingasmall sample of skin and examining it under t
If the patches are not troublesome, yourdoctor may simply recommend that you keep an eye on them and come back if they change in any way for example,if you developnew symptoms such as a patch growing
It is important to protect your skin from the sun if you have actinic keratoses. This can reduce the risk offurther patches developing and may help reduce the number of patches you already have. To p
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 underlyi