What should you know about sun damage actinic keratosis?

Actinic keratoses often feel dry, gritty, or scaly and may be easier to feel than see. They commonly appear on skin that receives repeated ultraviolet exposure, such as the face, scalp, ears, forearms, and backs of the hands. A lesion may be skin-coloured, pink, red, or brown. Having one can indicate cumulative sun damage, but a new rough patch cannot be identified reliably from a description alone.

An actinic keratosis is not the same as skin cancer. However, some can progress to squamous cell carcinoma, so monitoring and treatment matter. Related reading includes Sun-Damaged Skin and Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Arrange a skin examination, especially if the patch persists, returns after treatment, or sits on a heavily sun-exposed area. A clinician may examine the surface with magnification and decide whether sampling is needed. Treatment choices can include freezing a specific lesion with Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal), a prescribed field treatment such as Imiquimod Treatment or Topical 5-Fluorouracil, or Photodynamic Therapy when broader sun-damaged skin needs attention.

Use shade, protective clothing, and broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin. Do not pick or repeatedly scrape the area; note changes in texture, tenderness, bleeding, or size so you can describe them accurately.

Book a prompt dermatology review if a rough spot becomes tender, thickened, rapidly changing, crusted, or repeatedly bleeds. Seek assessment for a sore that does not heal or a lesion that grows beyond its previous border. These features do not establish cancer, but they warrant examination rather than self-treatment. Skin Cancer Screening may help when you have several changing or sun-exposed lesions.

Ask whether the area fits actinic keratosis, whether it needs a biopsy, which treatment suits its location, and how the skin should be protected during healing. Clarify how to check for new lesions and when Follow-Up After Cancer Treatment is relevant if a cancerous change has been diagnosed.