One of the common skin ailments that affect considerable amount of people is skin keratosis. It may also be referred to as keratinosis but not very frequently. This is a skin conditions that results in the formation of bumps on the skin. Sometimes the height and thickness of these bumps varies depending on the type of keratosis and length of time it has been existent. Skin keratosis is usually as a result of excessive exposure to sunlight. It is most commonly found among the light-skinned people. This is mostly due to the fact that light skinned people have considerably less amount of melanin. This is because melanin protects darker people from the harmful effects of the sun.
Keratosis is mainly divided into four major types. These include: actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis, keratosis pilaris and porokeratosis. All these types of keratosis are characterized with varying degrees of growths. These growths also vary greatly in color, texture and location of occurrence. Keratosis is a treatable condition and can be corrected with various types of remedies. Below are some common remedies that are used to treat skin keratosis of different types. Most of the methods are able to treat different types of keratosis.
Curettage is the first method used to treat keratosis. In this method, a sharp tool that is spoon-shaped is used to remove the growth from the skin. This method is used mostly in combination with other treatments because if used on its own, the growth would recur. It can be very effective when combined with electrocautery.
Electrocautery is another treatment of keratosis. A tool that has a sharp edge that is fed with a low voltage electric current is used to burn off the growth. The electricity burns the growth and leaves behind a hardened mass of tissue that looks like a scab. It eventually comes off to reveal healthy skin after some time.
Laser surgery is another method used to treat keratosis. A beam of high intensity light (laser) is used and it literally vaporizes the growth. This treatment is effective and can result in minimal scarring when it is carried out by a skilled professional. The results of the surgery also mean that less healing time is needed.
Cryosurgery involves the use of liquid nitrogen which is applied on the growth. It freezes the growth and makes it easier to remove. It works best on growths that are shallow since the nitrogen cannot reach into the deeper growths.
Surgery is another common treatment and it involves excision of the growth using surgical instruments such as scalpels. When the growth being treated had become cancerous, surgery is combined with radiation treatment to kill cancer cells.
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