Keratin does not grow on skin, and once it does, it could be keratosis. Human fingernails, toenails and hair are mostly fabricated of keratin. If ever keratin grows into the skin, it could cause solidification, lumps and wart like skin growth. Keratoses may come in many forms according to their source, actinic or solar keratosis, pilaric keratosis which resembles acne, hydrocarbon keratosis caused by certain chemical compounds and seborrheic keratosis. Our focus will be on actinic keratosis and its surgical removal. Solar keratosis is another term for it. Parts of the body which gets the most sun contact such as the face and arms are more likely to be affected. The disease most likely occurs on people with fair skin. Since it could lead to cancer, it must be treated at once.
Actinic or solar keratosis is mainly triggered by being exposed to the sun for long periods of time. Because it is normally the size of a mole, it could be mistaken as one. But moles don’t just grow bigger and thicker like keratosis does. The main difference is its thickening and growth. If having keratosis is confirmed, many treatments are available. This also depends on the severity of one’s keratosis. Mild cases can be treated with creams which are applied to affected area for a certain period of time. Application of these will allay the area hardened by keratosis and its removal would ensue. Cryosurgery is a type of surgical medication for keratosis.
Very cold temperature is used in cryosurgery to kill off abnormal growths in the skin tissue. The surgeon would apply liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide foam to the area to be treated. Application of those substances would make it easy to remove the keratosis. It costs less, hurts less and scars less. Cryosurgery could also affect nearby healthy tissues and some nerve tissues.
Laser surgery could also be chosen. This type of surgery does not need the use of scalpel. Nonetheless it could be more expensive and more effort is employed. The good thing about laser surgery is that it heals quickly and the pain is less.
Traditional surgery with a scalpel is another [option. Keratosis is not found deep within the skin and can be remedied by some applied gel and traditional surgery. This could be painful but removing a health hazard is worth it.
