Keratosis is the growth of the keratin, the skin protein, which appears on the skin. There are different types of keratosis that are based on the causes. The three common types of keratosis include the seborrheic keratosis, actinic keratosis and keratosis pilaris.
Seborrheic keratosis
This is one of the common noncancerous skin conditions that develop among the older adults. These are usually the wart-like growths that appear on the chest, shoulders, face or the back of the body. It can develop as a single or multiple lesions that are round or oval in shape. These growths vary in color from brown or black in appearance and ranges in size from very small to more than 1 inch across. These are usually not painful but can bleed from scratching causing infection. Although the exact cause of this skin condition is not known, it is believed that inheritance may play a role. The treatment usually is not required but they can be removed with various processes such as scarping them off with a special instrument (curettage), involving a process known as ablation that vaporizes the growth with the laser or freezing them with liquid nitrogen (cryosurgery).
Actinic keratosis
Also known as solar keratosis, this condition is characterized by the scaly growth that is caused by the damage from the ultraviolet radiation. This occurs as the result of frequent exposure to the sun, to the artificial UV light from the tanning and in the rare cases from the exposure to the x-rays. This is often considered to be precancerous and if left untreated, it can become skin cancer. It most commonly occurs on the exposed areas such as the face, ears, shoulders, back of the hands and the bald scalp. Although it can resemble warts, it appears to be dark tan or flesh toned. This can develop slowly attaining a quarter of an inch in size. It can also cause itchiness, be tender or pricking sensation and bleed in some cases. The surgical procedures as the treatment options include laser surgery to vaporize the affected tissue, cryosurgery to freeze the affected area or curettage and desiccation that scrapes off the lesion. The topical treatments such as topical creams, gels or solutions can treat the lesions with minimal scarring.
Keratosis pilaris
This is a harmless skin problem that presents rough patches and tiny bumps on the skin. This condition is more common among the young children and the symptoms include rough skin with bumps, painless small bumps that appear on the cheeks, buttocks, upper arms or the thighs. This develops as the result of the accumulation of a protein known as keratin that acts as a protective barrier on the skin from the harmful substances. The keratin blocks the opening of the hair follicle on the skin that results in the rough appearance. Although the exact cause is not known, it is associated with genetic conditions or skin problems. The treatment usually is not required and the condition clears on its own. In order to improve the appearance of the skin, some of the treatments can include creams to prevent plugged follicles and creams for removing the dead skin cells.
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