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Actinic keratoses (also called solar keratoses) are dry, scaly patches of skin that have been damaged by the sun. It's not usually serious, but there's a small chance the patches could become skin cancer. Protecting your skin in the sun and watching out for changes can help.
Actinic keratoses patches:
The patches usually appear on areas of your body that are often exposed to the sun, such as your face, hands and arms, ears, scalp and legs.
It's important to get these skin changes checked in case they're being caused by something more serious, such as skin cancer.
If you only have 1 actinic keratoses patch, a GP might suggest waiting to see if it goes away by itself.
If you have more than 1 patch, or a patch is causing you problems such as pain and itchiness, treatment is usually recommended.
A GP may refer you to a skin specialist (dermatologist).
Treatments for actinic keratoses include:
There are things you can do to stop your actinic keratoses patches getting worse and lower your chances of developing skin cancer.
check your skin regularly for any changes
use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 before going out in the sun and reapply regularly
wear a hat and clothing that fully covers your arms and legs when you're out in the sun
do not sunbathe
do not use sunlamps or sunbeds as these can also damage your skin
do not go into the sun between 11am and 3pm – this is when the sun is at its strongest
Consider taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day if you always cover up outdoors. This is because you may not get enough vitamin D from sunlight.
