Treating Actinic keratosis

Why is treatment important?
A major factor to consider is that actinic keratoses can turn into squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma grows deeper in the skin and over time may metastasize and thus spread throughout the body. You can not know in advance which actinic keratoses will develop into squamous cell carcinoma.

Actinic keratosis, especially if these are more visible lesions on a skin area (field cancerisation), experienced by most individuals as an appearance problem. This becomes more evident when the actinic keratosis often arise naturally solbestrailade areas of the face, scalp, chest, back of the hand.

Treatment of actinic keratosis
There are different types of treatments for actinic keratosis. Actinic keratoses can be treated effectively, but there is a risk that the actinic keratosis can come back some time after treatment. As can further treatments are necessary.

Freeze Treatment
Freezing is the most common treatment for isolated lesions of actinic keratosis. The skin is cooled to 193 degrees below zero by liquid nitrogen is sprayed on the field. The treatment is painless but is usually given without local anesthesia. After freezing, the treated skin area become swollen, blister and shed his skin. It can often arise a permanent spot on the treated skin area.

Cream
Patients can self-treat their actinic keratosis in the home by ironing on a cream on the skin area is affected by actinic keratosis. There are various types of cream; they vary in the efficiency and the length of treatment. The various creams give different long clearance of actinic keratosis after treatment. Often erythema (redness of the skin) during treatment, this disappears after discontinuation.

Photodynamic therapy
In hospitals emphasized a cream on the skin area is affected by actinic keratosis. After some time of waiting is increasing cream skin’s sensitivity to red light. Then illuminated area of skin with red light and the solskadade cells in the actinic keratosis die. Pain usually comes in the explanation, but usually manages the patient without anesthesia. Often erythema (redness of the skin) during treatment, it is lost for some time after treatment.

Laser (CO, CO2)
Laser treatment is a costly but effective treatment for the removal of actinic keratosis. If this is done over large areas of skin tend to rule local anesthesia is given.

Scraping (curettage)
The treatment, which is rarely used, means that the doctor scrapes of lesions such as actinic keratosis from skin with a sharp spoon.

Related:
Actinic keratosis (solar keratosis)
Actinic keratosis Field cancerisation
Symptoms of actinic keratosis
Causes of actinic keratosis
Back to Treating Actinic keratosis