Actinic keratosis is rough-colored spots that can be found on the surface of the skin. These spots differ from pin-sized spots to coin-sized spots. Having this condition may lead to having cancer if left untreated.

Candidates to having this skin condition are those who have fair skin colors and are 40 years old or above. There are also cases wherein teenagers are affected by this condition. It is very important to have actinic keratoses removed off the skin in order to prevent the development of cancer cells. If you are going to ignore this skin condition, it is very likely that your health will suffer. Nevertheless, suffering from this skin condition does not trigger the development of cancer cells later on.

One good shot to take is to understand how to know what actinic keratosis is. The way actinic keratosis looks like in a person may not be the same with how it appears for another person. Given the fact that the spots may appear to have the same color as that of your skin, it is normal that this skin condition is not immediately attended. Its size being small can also influence the way it can be learned immediately.

Discoloration can be noticed on the skin as described by pink, gray, brown, or red spots. Also, when it comes to its texture, it is noticeable rough. Most commonly, the spots appear on the scalp of people who are bald, ears, nose, lips, back of the hands, arms, etc. – those areas of the body that receive overexposure to the sun. Its growth is considerably slow and it can give you the idea that it is already vanished only to reappear at the very same part of the skin later on. Itching and bleeding are also entailed by this skin condition.

If you have been greatly exposed to the sun, it is likely that the appearance of actinic keratosis will be apparent. The scaly look of the skin can be attributed to the overexposure to the sun that damages the outermost layer of the skin. The sudden roughness of the skin can also be pushed through by the noticeable spots.

Even though it is not a condition that is passed through the genes nor is it a disease that is contagious, it is still best to seek the assistance of a physician if there are signs of actinic keratosis being apparent on your skin. The ones who are most likely to suffer from this skin condition are the people who immediately get burnt under the sun and those who have fair-colored skins. If you are being annoyed by the spots on your skin, feel free to ask your doctor what the real problem is for you to have the proper solution to your problem.

Keratosis Further Reading:

Actinic Keratosis – Seborrheic Keratosis

Website Reading:

Actinic Keratosis

Seborrheic Keratosis

Ag3derm

Keratosis Removal