How often you check your skin for signs of keratosis? Perhaps, you only examine your skin when you discover something unusual in its appearance. Yet, how many times do you consider consulting a dermatologist to know its causes? You barely think about it, unless it is bothering you and affects your daily function.
Keratosis, for instance, is one of numerous skin condition most people suffer from at some point in their lives. Its name is uncommon but the symptoms and disease is very common. It is often misdiagnosed as a wart, pimple or acne. This skin disorder is common given that sun exposure is the root cause of the problem. Only a few take extra care of their skin especially when subjecting under intense sunlight.
Therefore, cases of keratosis increase. Yet, it is curable except for the types which are hereditary. Yes, they come in different types meaning different treatments are also available.
Consider seborrheic keratosis. Its manifestations are bumps or non-cancerous growths on the skin and usually inherited. Actinic keratosis is very common considering that sunlight overexposure is the root cause. This skin condition is pre-cancerous, meaning it could exaggerate into skin cancer once untreated. Lastly, keratosis pilaris occurs because the hair follicles are blocked. Identifying the types and causes of keratosis effectively prevents complications like skin cancer and acute skin damage. Now, let us consider the different keratosis treatment methods.
Creams are available to help you get rid of keratosis. 5-fluorouracil is widely used which helps in fading the skin growth away. This works by causing irritations to keratosis infections by becoming inflamed and red before falling off. Despite their effectiveness, they often leave nasty skin which makes it uncomfortable for some weeks. These works best for those that are frequently exposed to sun.
Cryosurgery is normally done by freezing the liquid nitrogen in destroying and to remove the skin growth. This procedure is quite common and in some surgical procedure, the growths are either burned or cut off.
Another procedure being used to treat keratosis is photo-dynamic therapy. The procedure includes a dye that increases the skin’s light sensitivity. Letting the dye to stay on the afflicted skin for one hour then exposing it to laser light will destroy the skin growth. This is recommended for cases of multiple skin growth.
The most common treatment method is prescription medication. However, their effectiveness could only be cited on minor cases. Many of that using prescription medication have seen a recurrence of keratosis and even worsen later on.
Certainly, dermatologist knows what is best in removing those skin growths in your skin. Therefore, ask for their advice in treating keratosis.
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