Actinic Keratosis
Pre-cancerous skin lesions
Actinic keratoses are pre-cancerous skin lesions found on fair-skinned individuals who have spent a lot of time in the sun or at the tanning salon.
Actinic keratosis (or solar keratosis) is a skin lesion characterized by a small rough, scaly patch of skin. Actinic keratoses develop as a result of aging and sun damage by the skin’s repeated exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
These skin lesions are usually found on highly exposed areas such as the scalp, face, ears, back of the hands, forearms and chest.
Actinic keratosis can be one of the early signs of skin cancer. If left untreated, some of these skin lesions may become invasive squamous cell carcinoma, a type of non-melanoma skin cancer.
If a lesion on your skin starts to form a hard growth or become itchy, it is advised that you see a dermatologist as soon as possible.
In the past, many dermatologists would treat skin lesions through cautery (burning), freezing with liquid nitrogen or excision (cutting and stitching). SkinFitMD in Surrey, BC, offers a newer less-invasive treatments for actinic keratoses:
- Fraxel Dual® laser
A procedure utilized for many for skin pigmentation issues such as melasma, aging and generalized sun damage, the Fraxel Dual laser system was cleared by the FDA in September 2010 for the treatment of actinic keratoses. A series of two to four treatments have been shown to be effective on the face, arms, hands and chest.
As dermatologists, we will examine your skin closely for any signs of skin cancer. If we find a skin lesion such as actinic keratosis to be concerned about, we will provide quick and effective treatment.
Unsure about a particular lesion on your skin?
Contact us for a consultation.