Keratosis is a growth of keratin on the skin and it can more specifically refer to actinic keratosis also known as solar keratosis, hydrocarbon keratosis, keratosis pilaris also known as follicular keratosis or seborrheic keratosis.
Many people have not heard about keratosis, a condition that is characterized by an overgrowth of the keratin in some parts of the body which many will find quite unattractive. If you have been diagnosed with this condition, this should not be something that should worry you very much because there are many solutions to the problem. These skin growths are common in middle aged people although they can appear as early as the teenage years.
The first thing that you need to do is to visit your doctor and have a frank discussion with him or her. Your doctor will be much more qualified to answer any questions about this condition than any other person. Your doctor should be able to check you and make a through analysis and then prescribe some approaches to its treatment which will help you to be able to address the condition fast enough. The medication that your doctor prescribes should be able to adequately deal with the situation.
Experts are not aware what causes keratosis. Research has however found that there are two things about the condition. One is that this condition tends to run in families and the condition seems to be related to sun exposure. When you have this condition, you can itch, bleed easily, or become red and irritated when clothes rub them. They range in color from white to light tan to black although most are brown or sometimes multicolored. They range in size from tiny to larger than about one inch in diameter. They also range in texture from waxy to smooth to velvety to dry, rough and bumpy.
Generally keratosis is nothing to worry about although it is good to see a doctor especially if you are unsure what type of skin growth you have since it can be difficult to tell wether a growth is a keratosis, a mole, a wart, or skin cancer. They don’t need treatment although if you are bothered by them or you don’t like how they look, you can have your doctor remove them. Your doctor can remove them by freezing them, cutting them off, or he or she can remove them by using a tool that burn them off. As alternative treatments, you can try laser treatments, Electrocautery and curettage as these two will work if mixed in treatment.
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