Actinic keratosis: how it is treated with natural means

Actinic or solar keratosis appears as a thickened and scaly surface on the skin, that forms after many years of exposure to the sun. It usually develops on the face, ears, back of the hands, forearms, scalp, or neck.

Actinic keratosis is slow-growing and usually causes no symptoms, just a pink, red, or brown patch or small spot that can be up to 2.5 cm in diameter. They usually occur in people over 40 years. A small percentage of these lesions can eventually turn into skin cancer.

How do I reduce the risk of getting actinic keratosis?

To reduce the risk of actinic keratosis, minimize your sun exposure and protects the skin from excessive sunlight. It is important that you are in contact with light, but always indirectly.

The little time that you dedicate to sunbathing, it is better that you do it without protection, gradually increasing exposure and avoiding the central hours of the day (between 10 am and 4 pm). Starts with 5 minutes until reaching 20 minutes daily. This is enough to get the benefits of the sun, such as the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin.

The rest of the time use full protection, preferably with clothing and well covered. In summer, if you use sun creams, use mineral filters and organic certification.

A good protection sometimes improves injuries. As time passes, the skin ages, but the keratosis does not have to get worse.

On the other hand, it is highly recommended to eat abundant fruits and vegetables with carotenes, and take them fresh. A diet low in saturated fat and without heating it has also been shown to decrease the incidence of actinic keratosis.

Can it be treated somehow?

The liquid nitrogen cryosurgery at -195.8°C is the most common, cost-effective, and effective treatment for actinic keratosis and is especially effective when there are a limited number of lesions.

No cuts or anesthesia are necessary. Liquid nitrogen is applied to existing lesions with a spray or applicator with a cotton tip in order to freeze them. Then scabs form and fall off. From here on, protection and diet are very important to prevent its reappearance.

There are many cases that are cured but it is important to attend to the small details: if the keratosis worsens it means that something is not being done right.

Remember that before the appearance of any stain on the skin you should do a visit your dermatologist to make a diagnosis, especially if the spot grows or bleeds.