When keratin develops on skin, keratosis might be the disease. Actually, keratin is the main component of hair, toe nails and fingernails. But if it grows on skin, it could cause thickness, lumping and wart like growths. There are several types of keratoses, actinic keratosis, pilaric keratosis, hydrocarbon keratosis and seborrheic keratosis. Actinic keratosis is the most inherent form of keratosis and we’ll discuss about its surgical treatment. Actinic keratosis is also called solar keratosis. It usually occurs on skin areas that are most exposed to the sun, such as the face, neck and arms. People who have less melanin are at high chance of getting actinic keratosis. It could lead to carcinoma, and immediate treatment is a must.
Actinic keratosis employs extended exposure to the sun as its main factors. It’s size spans from 2 millimeters-6 millimeters, almost the size of a mole. Keratosis gets thicker and a bit bigger while moles don’t. Upon diagnosis, a dermatologist may present various treatments. Treatments are for various levels of acuteness. Mild cases can be treated with creams which are put on to affected area for a certain period of time. The gel or cream would loosen and soften the affected area and it will be removed easily. There are also surgical options, like cryosurgery.
Cryosurgery is the use of extreme temperatures-specifically coolness to destroy abnormal growths of cells or tissues. Liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide snow are utilized in this kind of surgery. It hardens the affected area more to make it easier to eliminate. Through this, the cost, pain and scar can be minimized. Cryosurgery could also harm nearby healthy tissues and some nerve tissues.
Another type of surgery is laser surgery. This type of surgery does not require the use of scalpel. Nonetheless it could be more expensive and more effort is needed. Laser treatment also has benefits such as quick healing and less pain.
In case of tight budget, traditional surgery could also be chosen. Keratosis is not as skin deep as some skin diseases are and can be treated with cream and surgery. The pain you would feel would amount to the safety of your health.
