Keratosis
There are several types of keratosis, some benign and others malignant pre-cancers. Keratosis is more common in fair-skinned people and is exhibited as rough, scaly growths that can resemble acne or warts. As with any potentially malignant skin condition, you need to have dermatologist check any new appearances of growths to make sure they are not cancerous. Early detection is key to successful treatment.
However, most keratosis is benign. Two such types are keratosis pilaris and seborrheic keratosis. Either of these conditions may look unappealing but are not significantly pre-cancerous.
Keratosis Pilaris
This is the type that is most often mistaken for acne. It can appear on the in many of the same places acne appears: the back, the thighs, and face. It is most common in adolescents. This may be the reason it is most often mistaken for acne. However, keratosis resembles goose bumps more than acne pustules and does not have a bacterial origin. The texture of the skin can be a real problem and is treated with moisturizing creams, exfoliation, and alpha hydroxy acids.
Seborrheic Keratosis
This type resembles raised or flat warts. It may even look like a fake cosmetic pastie beauty mark. This type of keratosis is not treated by topical creams or exfoliating agents. Instead, the small tumor-like growths are removed surgically and a biopsy is usually performed to make sure they are not cancerous. It is most common in people over 40 years of age.
Actinic Keratosis
This is the most dangerous type of keratosis. It is also sometimes called solar keratosis or senile keratosis. It is most common in very fair-skinned people who have been overexposed to sunlight. The incidence of actinic keratosis increase with age with estimates of all elderly whites (100%) experiencing the condition at one time or another. While not all actinic keratosis turns into cancer, the potential for it to do so requires one to seek immediate medical supervision and treatment.
Prevention As A Cure
Unfortunately, you may not be able to do much about the color of your skin, but you can do a lot to protect it from sunlight. Fair-skinned people need to protect their skin for their entire lives or face potentially dangerous consequences, as they get older. Getting good skin care products with a high SPF rating (greater than 15) can do a lot to reduce the appearance of actinic keratosis later on in life.
Simple lifestyle changes (besides the religious use of sunscreen protection) can include wearing sun hats and protective clothing year-round. The less exposure to sunlight for fair-skinned people, the less sun damage will be present as they age. Besides keratosis, excessive exposure to sunlight will result in premature aging of the skin with additional wrinkles and liver spots. It is much easier to prevent the appearance of skin conditions than it is to treat them once they are present. Keratosis can require surgery, burning or freezing techniques to remove the growths. Cancerous keratosis requires long-term treatment to make sure that benign growths don’t turn cancerous as you age.