SKIN CANCER AND SUN SPOTS
What is actinic keratosis?
A scaly spot found on sun-damaged skin. It is considered to be pre-cancerous and needs to be treated to prevent progression to skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma.
What does it look like?
It can be solitary or multiple keratoses. It can have a thick, scaly or rough surface that often feels like sandpaper. It can be white, yellow, red, tan, brown or pigmented. The size of the lesion typically ranges from 2 to 6 millimetres in diameter.
What causes it?
It typically occurs along with other signs of photodamage on the skin, including wrinkles and uneven pigmentation. It develops on areas of the skin that have chronic sun exposure and damage by UVB rays.