Known as a potentially cancerous skin condition, actinic keratosis is characterized by skin that is scaly, crusty, and sore. If your skin is fair-colored and if you are regularly exposed to the sun, there is a high probability that you may develop this skin condition. Actinic keratosis, when left untreated, can become far worse leading to squamous cell carcinoma. If actinic keratosis is left untreated, chances are that the risk of having squamous cell carcinoma will intensify. Simply said, the ideal thing to do is to stop actinic keratosis before it ends up getting worse.
UV radiation leads to either mutation or failure of keratinocytes. As the epidermis is thickened, the skin tends to be scaly and bumpy. Additionally, the skin seems to have warts because of the effect of actinic keratosis.
If the urgency of treating actinic keratosis is disregarded, it can develop into a far worse condition. It is most likely that the flat and thin squamous cells will be damaged by the UV radiation from the sun specifically if you do not heed the importance of removing actinic keratosis. Actinic keratosis must be attended immediately in order to prevent worse conditions developing.
There are several actinic keratosis removal treatments that you can choose from depending on the severity of your skin condition as well as your budget. For one, you can consider laser treatment as the most effective solution to the problem. However, laser treatments like Er-YAG and CO2 require lots of money to begin with.
Actinic keratosis can also be cured by the use of a cream referred to as 5-FU which contains fluorouracil. Apart from being used in chemotherapy, this cream helps on warding off anomalous cells from reproducing. Since the absorption by the fluorouracil is quickly done by the abnormal skin cells, the healthy skin cells are not that affected. Although there are side effects with the use of this cream, you can look forward to having the results that you want without undergoing surgery which leaves a scar.
Another cream used for actinic keratosis treatment is imiquimod. However, this will irritate the skin so you must be prepared for it.
Burning off of areas that are riddled with actinic keratosis can be done by electrocautery. This apparatus makes use of burning when destroying tissues that are infected or when sealing a wound. Cryosurgery is a related method but it uses lower temperature on burning off the areas of the skin that are involved.
Ideally, you have to consult a doctor first before you go further on one of the mentioned treatments. Undergoing any treatment requires proper checking of your overall health. At the end of the day, it is you who will greatly benefit from the removal of your actinic keratosis.
