What is an actinic keratosis?
An actinic keratosis looks like a reddish scaly patch most often on the face, scalp, or arms of someone with a history of significant sun exposure. It is best considered a “pre-cancerous” growth. While actinic keratoses are not inherently dangerous, some of them may turn into squamous cell carcinoma if left untreated. For this reason, we routinely remove actinic keratoses as preventive therapy. Actinic keratoses can typically be removed with non-invasive measures, including liquid nitrogen therapy and topical medications, as well as with various other techniques.
