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Pre-Cancerous Skin Lesions
Sunspots or pre-cancerous skin lesions (known as actinic keratosis or solar keratosis), are a common skin condition resulting from sun damage over many years.
These pre-cancerous skin spots are usually rough, scaly patches on sun-exposed areas of the body, such as the head, face, arms, hands and legs. Due to our climate, it is common, especially in older people or people with fair skin, to have many sunspots at a time.
Why Treat Solar Keratosis
Sunspots / actinic keratosis are considered pre-cancerous or an early form of skin cancer (cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma).
While the risk of an individual actinic keratosis developing into a skin cancer is very low, if multiple actinic keratoses are present (for example on the lip, scalp or ears) the risk is greater.
Most people find sunspots unsightly or uncomfortable and are keen to have them removed.
Pre-Cancerous Skin Lesions Treatment
Treatment of actinic keratosis requires the removal of the damaged skin cells, allowing the surrounding healthy skin to regenerate.
At Complete Skin Solutions & Specialist Centre, our Doctors offer a range of treatment options to meet individual skin needs. Treatment options for solar keratosis include:
- Photodymanic Therapy (PDT)
- Cryotherpay, using liquid nitrogen
- Field treatments, such as Efudix, Aldara and Picato
Prevention of Solar Karatosis
The only way to prevent sunspots / actinic keratosis is to reduce sun exposure.
There is evidence to support that using very high sun protection factor (SPF 50+) broad-spectrum sunscreen applied at least daily to affected areas, year-round, may prevent existing actinic keratosis from worsening.
