Treating Actinic Keratoses

Actinic/Solar keratoses are pre-cancerous lesions and can be removed surgically with scissors or a scraping instrument called a curette. Another way of destroying actinic keratoses is to freeze them with liquid nitrogen. Freezing causes blistering and shedding of the sun-damaged skin.

Sometimes it's unclear as to whether the growth is harmless. When this occurs, Dr. Ellerin prefers to cut the growth off and send it for microscopic analysis (biopsy). Healing after removal takes two to three weeks, depending on the size and location of the keratosis. Hands and legs heal more slowly than the face. The skin's final appearance is usually excellent.

When there are many keratoses, a useful treatment is the application of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The medication is rubbed on the keratoses for 10-20 days. 5-FU destroys sun-damaged skin cells. After three to five days the treated area starts to get raw. The applications are continued until Dr. Ellerin determines that you have the needed results. Healing starts when the 5-FU is stopped. 5-FU is effective in removing actinic keratoses from the face, but it often fails when used on the hands, forearms, or back.