Actinic Keratosis

Medical Topic of the Day:  Too much fun in the sun?  We are looking at Actinic Keratosis.  Pay attention because you are going to need to understand this for tomorrows topic.

Off The Top of My Head: I know it has something to do with your skin's repeated or prolonged sun exposure.  I know a lot of it is not a good thing and it is something that dermatologists look for when examining for skin cancer.

My Research Today:  Also known as solar keratoses, acitinic is a buildup of scaly, crusty skin growths caused by damage to the skin from ultraviolet rays.  They are usually red in color but can be any shade of skin tone you could imagine.  They look sorta gross like a wart or bump of rough skin.  Actinic keratosis is more common on the face, forearms, and back of your hands.

If you have a fair complexion, red or blonde hair, or blue eyes you are at higher risk for acquiring actinic keratosis.  These areas develop over years especially if you have a blatant disregard for sunscreen and shades.  Typically the areas will manifest in older adults over 40 years old.  If you were one of those white girls that had to have the crazy dark tan as a teenager than congratulations on your eventual actinic keratosis.

She used to look like the girl on the left.

Imagine those old women and men you see who's skin looks like an alligator suitcase or the old dude in the banana hammock at the beach?  All that rough skin is sun damage and some of those areas are actinic keratoses.

This disorder starts in your epidermis, the most outer layer of your skin.  Typically skin cells push the older cells toward the surface in an orderly manner so they die and are sloughed off.  UV rays can damage deeper layers of skin without protection and this damage causes uneven areas of tissue that are rough or different colors.  Continual UV ray exposure and abuse leads to actinic keratoses.

You could end up looking like this.

Actinic keratosis is considered a precursor to skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma.  Some medical professionals consider actinic keratoses to be the very first stage of skin cancer.  You can avoid these gross areas of precancerous skin by always wearing sunscreen even if you have a good tan.  Don't use tanning beds more than once a week and wear sunscreen or a UV blocking tan oil when in them.

Well, I am done for the day.  Tune in tomorrow when we discuss something much more interesting.

Quest To 180:
Walked 3 miles, in the pool for 20 minutes.

The MAN:
What's an alpha male?  If you have to ask then it isn't you.