When your skin has been beaten down by the sun over years, it can develop rough, scaly patches called actinic keratosis, a precancerous skin growth caused by cumulative UV damage. Also known as solar keratosis, it’s not just a cosmetic issue—it’s a warning sign your skin is one step away from squamous cell carcinoma. If you’ve spent decades outdoors, tanning, or just letting the sun hit your face, arms, or scalp without protection, you’re at risk.
This isn’t rare. Over 58 million Americans have at least one actinic keratosis, a visible sign of sun-damaged skin that can progress to cancer. It shows up most often on areas exposed to sunlight: the scalp (especially in bald men), ears, lips, backs of hands, and neck. These spots feel gritty, like sandpaper, and might be red, pink, or flesh-colored. Sometimes they itch, sting, or bleed if you scratch them. Left untreated, about 10% turn into skin cancer, specifically squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer.
What makes it tricky is that not all actinic keratoses become cancerous—but you can’t tell which ones will. That’s why doctors treat them early. Treatments range from topical creams that freeze or dissolve the patches, to cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen, to light-based therapies. Prevention is simpler: daily sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats, and avoiding midday sun make a huge difference. If you’ve never had a skin check, now’s the time. A dermatologist can spot these patches before they become something worse.
You’ll find real-world advice in the posts below—what treatments work, how to tell the difference between a harmless spot and something dangerous, and how sun damage adds up over time. No fluff. Just what you need to protect your skin before it’s too late.
