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Actinic Keratosis is a skin lesion that appears as a rough, scaly patch on your face, lips, ears, back of hands, forearms, scalp and the neck area. There may be a single lesion or several lesions. It is a small, rough spot occurring on skin that has been chronically exposed to the sun. It is the most common type of precancerous skin lesion.
The lesions usually measure between two to six millimeters in diameter or between the size of a pencil point and an eraser. They are usually pink-to-red or brown in color, with a rough texture and may have a white or yellowish scale on top. They may itch, burn or feel sore when fingers or clothing rub against them.
The lesions usually take years to develop and most often time they appear in older adults.
However, with people in their early 20s spending more time in the sun with little or no protection or utilizing indoor tanning booths, health care providers are seeing an increase in Actinic Keratosis in young adults.
Those at greatest risk for Actinic Keratosis tend to be fair-skinned people who have spent a lot of time outdoors at work or at play over the course of many years. They may be blonde or red headed and have blue, green or gray eyes. They are usually more susceptible because their skin has very little protective pigment which makes them more susceptible to sunburn. Others at risk may have been exposed to indoor tanning beds. Their skin often becomes wrinkled, mottled and discolored from sun exposures. Others at risk for developing actinic keratosis are people with suppressed immune systems such as organ transplant patients, cancer chemotherapy or AIDS. Although these are at the greatest risk, anyone with excessive sun exposure can develop Actinic Keratosis.
Actinic Keratosis is precancerous or premalignant which means they can develop into skin cancer. This usually takes many years and if it does become malignant the cancer is called a squamous cell carcinoma. You need to see a health care provider when you notice skin changes, especially if a spot or lesion persist, bleeds, is painful, itches or burns, oozes or bleeds, becomes scaly or crusty, changes in size, shape, color or elevation.
There are several effective methods for treating Actinic Keratosis. Some of the treatments may include cryosurgery, topical medications, chemical peeling, laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, or curettage and desiccation. This is a discussion that you need to have with your health care provider.
The best way to prevent Actinic Keratosis is to protect your skin from the sun. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the following tips will help prevent Actinic Keratosis: Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; stay in the shade when at all possible; cover up with clothing, including a hat, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt; ear UV-blocking sunglasses; wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher; avoid tanning parlors and artificial tanning devices; teach children good sun-protective practices; examine your skin from head to toe once every month and have a professional skin examination each year.
For more information contact your health care provider or the Pottawatomie County Health Department at 273-2157.
As always, have a safe and healthy week and remember: Eat better, move more and be tobacco-free.
Actinic Keratosis is a skin lesion that appears as a rough, scaly patch on your face, lips, ears, back of hands, forearms, scalp and the neck area. There may be a single lesion or several lesions. It is a small, rough spot occurring on skin that has been chronically exposed to the sun. It is the most common type of precancerous skin lesion.
The lesions usually measure between two to six millimeters in diameter or between the size of a pencil point and an eraser. They are usually pink-to-red or brown in color, with a rough texture and may have a white or yellowish scale on top. They may itch, burn or feel sore when fingers or clothing rub against them.
The lesions usually take years to develop and most often time they appear in older adults.
However, with people in their early 20s spending more time in the sun with little or no protection or utilizing indoor tanning booths, health care providers are seeing an increase in Actinic Keratosis in young adults.
Those at greatest risk for Actinic Keratosis tend to be fair-skinned people who have spent a lot of time outdoors at work or at play over the course of many years. They may be blonde or red headed and have blue, green or gray eyes. They are usually more susceptible because their skin has very little protective pigment which makes them more susceptible to sunburn. Others at risk may have been exposed to indoor tanning beds. Their skin often becomes wrinkled, mottled and discolored from sun exposures. Others at risk for developing actinic keratosis are people with suppressed immune systems such as organ transplant patients, cancer chemotherapy or AIDS. Although these are at the greatest risk, anyone with excessive sun exposure can develop Actinic Keratosis.
Actinic Keratosis is precancerous or premalignant which means they can develop into skin cancer. This usually takes many years and if it does become malignant the cancer is called a squamous cell carcinoma. You need to see a health care provider when you notice skin changes, especially if a spot or lesion persist, bleeds, is painful, itches or burns, oozes or bleeds, becomes scaly or crusty, changes in size, shape, color or elevation.
There are several effective methods for treating Actinic Keratosis. Some of the treatments may include cryosurgery, topical medications, chemical peeling, laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, or curettage and desiccation. This is a discussion that you need to have with your health care provider.
The best way to prevent Actinic Keratosis is to protect your skin from the sun. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the following tips will help prevent Actinic Keratosis: Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; stay in the shade when at all possible; cover up with clothing, including a hat, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt; ear UV-blocking sunglasses; wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher; avoid tanning parlors and artificial tanning devices; teach children good sun-protective practices; examine your skin from head to toe once every month and have a professional skin examination each year.
For more information contact your health care provider or the Pottawatomie County Health Department at 273-2157.
As always, have a safe and healthy week and remember: Eat better, move more and be tobacco-free.
Actinic Keratosis is a skin lesion that appears as a rough, scaly patch on your face, lips, ears, back of hands, forearms, scalp and the neck area. There may be a single lesion or several lesions. It is a small, rough spot occurring on skin that has been chronically exposed to the sun. It is the most common type of precancerous skin lesion.
The lesions usually measure between two to six millimeters in diameter or between the size of a pencil point and an eraser. They are usually pink-to-red or brown in color, with a rough texture and may have a white or yellowish scale on top. They may itch, burn or feel sore when fingers or clothing rub against them.
The lesions usually take years to develop and most often time they appear in older adults.
However, with people in their early 20s spending more time in the sun with little or no protection or utilizing indoor tanning booths, health care providers are seeing an increase in Actinic Keratosis in young adults.
Those at greatest risk for Actinic Keratosis tend to be fair-skinned people who have spent a lot of time outdoors at work or at play over the course of many years. They may be blonde or red headed and have blue, green or gray eyes. They are usually more susceptible because their skin has very little protective pigment which makes them more susceptible to sunburn. Others at risk may have been exposed to indoor tanning beds. Their skin often becomes wrinkled, mottled and discolored from sun exposures. Others at risk for developing actinic keratosis are people with suppressed immune systems such as organ transplant patients, cancer chemotherapy or AIDS. Although these are at the greatest risk, anyone with excessive sun exposure can develop Actinic Keratosis.
Actinic Keratosis is precancerous or premalignant which means they can develop into skin cancer. This usually takes many years and if it does become malignant the cancer is called a squamous cell carcinoma. You need to see a health care provider when you notice skin changes, especially if a spot or lesion persist, bleeds, is painful, itches or burns, oozes or bleeds, becomes scaly or crusty, changes in size, shape, color or elevation.
There are several effective methods for treating Actinic Keratosis. Some of the treatments may include cryosurgery, topical medications, chemical peeling, laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, or curettage and desiccation. This is a discussion that you need to have with your health care provider.
The best way to prevent Actinic Keratosis is to protect your skin from the sun. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the following tips will help prevent Actinic Keratosis: Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; stay in the shade when at all possible; cover up with clothing, including a hat, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt; ear UV-blocking sunglasses; wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher; avoid tanning parlors and artificial tanning devices; teach children good sun-protective practices; examine your skin from head to toe once every month and have a professional skin examination each year.
For more information contact your health care provider or the Pottawatomie County Health Department at 273-2157.
As always, have a safe and healthy week and remember: Eat better, move more and be tobacco-free.
Actinic Keratosis is a skin lesion that appears as a rough, scaly patch on your face, lips, ears, back of hands, forearms, scalp and the neck area. There may be a single lesion or several lesions. It is a small, rough spot occurring on skin that has been chronically exposed to the sun. It is the most common type of precancerous skin lesion.
The lesions usually measure between two to six millimeters in diameter or between the size of a pencil point and an eraser. They are usually pink-to-red or brown in color, with a rough texture and may have a white or yellowish scale on top. They may itch, burn or feel sore when fingers or clothing rub against them.
The lesions usually take years to develop and most often time they appear in older adults.
However, with people in their early 20s spending more time in the sun with little or no protection or utilizing indoor tanning booths, health care providers are seeing an increase in Actinic Keratosis in young adults.
Those at greatest risk for Actinic Keratosis tend to be fair-skinned people who have spent a lot of time outdoors at work or at play over the course of many years. They may be blonde or red headed and have blue, green or gray eyes. They are usually more susceptible because their skin has very little protective pigment which makes them more susceptible to sunburn. Others at risk may have been exposed to indoor tanning beds. Their skin often becomes wrinkled, mottled and discolored from sun exposures. Others at risk for developing actinic keratosis are people with suppressed immune systems such as organ transplant patients, cancer chemotherapy or AIDS. Although these are at the greatest risk, anyone with excessive sun exposure can develop Actinic Keratosis.
Actinic Keratosis is precancerous or premalignant which means they can develop into skin cancer. This usually takes many years and if it does become malignant the cancer is called a squamous cell carcinoma. You need to see a health care provider when you notice skin changes, especially if a spot or lesion persist, bleeds, is painful, itches or burns, oozes or bleeds, becomes scaly or crusty, changes in size, shape, color or elevation.
There are several effective methods for treating Actinic Keratosis. Some of the treatments may include cryosurgery, topical medications, chemical peeling, laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, or curettage and desiccation. This is a discussion that you need to have with your health care provider.
The best way to prevent Actinic Keratosis is to protect your skin from the sun. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the following tips will help prevent Actinic Keratosis: Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; stay in the shade when at all possible; cover up with clothing, including a hat, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt; ear UV-blocking sunglasses; wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher; avoid tanning parlors and artificial tanning devices; teach children good sun-protective practices; examine your skin from head to toe once every month and have a professional skin examination each year.
For more information contact your health care provider or the Pottawatomie County Health Department at 273-2157.
As always, have a safe and healthy week and remember: Eat better, move more and be tobacco-free.
