actinic cheilitis stages - Health Topics
Too much sun exposure can lead to swollen, puffy, inflamed lips. This is known as actinic cheilitis, which may turn into skin cancer. But treatment options like fluorouracil or cryotherapy can help ...
Understanding the Context
When an AK forms on a lip, the medical name for this precancerous growth is actinic cheilitis. Many people who develop AKs and actinic cheilitis are otherwise healthy. They don’t feel ill or rundown. Still, it’s important to know if you have any of these precancerous growths on your skin.
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Cheilitis is an inflammation of the lips that can be caused by sun damage, cosmetics, or saliva. Symptoms of cheilitis include dry, red, painful, scaly, and itchy lips. Cheilitis can lead to second ... An actinic keratosis is a very common and treatable precancerous skin lesion. Our dermatologist Saira George, M.D., explains what causes actinic keratoses, how to treat them and who’s at risk.
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Actinic keratosis (pronounced ak-TIN-ik ker-uh-TOH-sis), also known as solar keratosis, is a skin condition that happens with too much sun exposure. It causes rough, scaly spots of skin. Actinic keratoses (AKs) most commonly present as a white, scaly plaque of variable thickness with surrounding redness; they have a sandpaper-like texture when felt with a gloved hand. Also known as a solar keratosis, an actinic keratosis grows slowly and usually first appears in people over 40. You can reduce your risk of this skin condition by minimizing your sun exposure and protecting your skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays. Actinic keratoses are very common, and many people have them.
They are caused by ultraviolet (UV) damage to the skin. Some actinic keratoses can turn into squamous cell skin cancer. Because of this, the lesions are often called precancer. They are not life-threatening.