These are rough colored spots on the body that may be range in size from a pin to a coin. Some of them are quite flat while some even grow as horns. Actinic keratoses is a pre-cancerous condition. Most of the light skinned people who get exposed to sun are in danger of getting actinic keratoses after the age of 40 years. At some places, even teenagers are known to develop it. Actinic keratoses need to be removed from the skin before they develop to squamous cell cancer. Not all people develop cancer, but some do and that is a danger, which must be avoided. Let us find out more about actinic keratoses.



Actinic keratoses> symptoms and appearance>

Actinic keratoses may look different in different people. Some people never realize that they have developed actinic keratoses because the keratoses are very small and skin colored. The skin affected by actinic keratoses may look blotchy. It will also be rough in touch. Some actinic keratoses are colored- gray, pink, brown or red.

Actinic keratoses grow slowly in size and sometimes may disappear only to appear later at the same spot. The common sites of occurrence are those that are most exposed to sun. It may include scalp of bald people, back of hands, ears, nose, lower lips, etc. If you find that your spots are itching, bleeding or growing or changing in look, you should consult a doctor quickly.

Actinic keratoses may develop into squamous cell cancer and it is important that you consult a doctor about their removal and take preventive action to stop further growth. If the skin cells forming actinic keratoses lesions grow more, they may take a horn-like shape. The horn may be straight or curved. The size of the horn shape may vary.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.