Actinic keratosis is a precancerous scaly spot found on sun-damaged skin, also known as solar keratosis. It may be considered an early form of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (a keratinocyte cancer). To treat signs of aging, board-certified dermatologists often use more than one type of treatment. This helps to treat the different signs of aging. It also helps to give you a natural and healthy appearance, so you don’t look like you’ve had “work done.” Helfrich YR, Maier LE, Cui Y, et al. Clinical, histologic, and molecular analysis of differences between erythematotelangiectatic rosacea and telangiectatic photoaging. JAMA Dermatol 2015; 151: 825–36. DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.4728. PubMed Not all probiotics are the same, especially when it comes to getting brain benefits. See which probiotics work best for enhancing cognitive function. READ MORE

sun exposure on skin Let it shine: the unexpected benefits of sun exposure on skin

Sun Damage is quite a hard book to explain without giving away any spoilers. What I can say is that we meet a couple of con artists at the beginning who thrive on travelling the world, conning people out of money. When in France one of their cons goes wrong and one of them flees, taking on the identity of another person, yet always knowing the other will at some point come after them. Dry skin— Try using a moisturizer that contains at least one of the following ingredients: glycerin, urea, pyroglutamic acid, sorbitol, lactic acid, lactate salts or alpha-hydroxy acids. Avoid using alpha-hydroxy acids or other acids on any sunburned skin. Avoid hot baths or hot showers, because these can make your sun-damaged skin even drier. Wash only with warm or cool water, using unscented soap that either has a high fat content or contains glycerin.Beral V, Evans S, Shaw H, Milton G. Cutaneous factors related to the risk of malignant melanoma. Br J Dermatol 1983; 109: 165–72. PubMed Yet some immune dampening may be beneficial, helping to temper overactive immune responses. Possibly, our immune systems even have evolved with this mildly immune-suppressive input from sunlight wired in. Now that we spend the majority of our lives indoors, this system may have fallen out of balance, increasing the risk of autoimmune disease. A type of melanoma called ‘lentigo maligna’ starts as a brown patch that persists over a long time. It tends to be larger than sunspots but is more common in older people with lots of sunspots. Unlike a sunspot it slowly enlarges and may develop darker areas within it. It is a type of melanoma that if caught early can be cured. If left, it will become more of a hard lump and can bleed or crust and can spread to lymph nodes and become very serious.

Sun Damage | Sabine Durrant | 9781473681699 | NetGalley Sun Damage | Sabine Durrant | 9781473681699 | NetGalley

Actinic keratoses affect people that have often lived in the tropics or subtropics and have predisposing factors such as: Vitamin D is manufactured in our bodies when the UVB rays in sunlight react with a chemical in the skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol. Bone and muscle cells use it to regulate levels of calcium and phosphorus, which are needed to keep them strong and healthy, while immune cells also use it to help fend off harmful microbes and promote wound repair. Vitamin D receptors are also found on other body tissues including the heart and brain, and in recent years the list of illnesses associated with vitamin D deficiency has grown to include cardiovascular disease, infections and cancer. Trautinger F. Mechanisms of photodamage of the skin and its functional consequences for skin ageing. Clin Exp Dermatol 2001; 26: 573–7. DOI: 0.1007/s11357-009-9103-6. PubMed

Sun protection can also help prevent, slow down, and even reverse signs of sun damage. To be effective, you must use sun protection every day — even when it’s overcast or cold outside. In fact, if you’re concerned about fading spots, you need to be extra vigilant! Many acne and scar-fading treatments, whether prescription or over-the-counter (OTC), can make your skin even more sensitive to the sun. Regulated by the Care Quality Commission, Health Inspectorate Wales and Health Improvement Scotland

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Call your primary care physician or a dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in skin problems) if you have any of the following problems:Ayer J, Ahmed A, Duncan-Parry E, et al. A photonumeric scale for the assessment of atrophic facial photodamage. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178: 1190–95. DOI: 10.1111/bjd.16331. PubMed Actinic keratoses are the result of abnormal skin cell development due to DNA damage by short wavelength UVB. Laser resurfacing— This works in the same way as a chemical peel to remove the top layer of skin, but it uses a laser beam instead of a chemical solution. Actinic keratosis— An actinic keratosis appears as a small bump that feels like sandpaper or a persistent patch of scaly (peeling) skin that may have a jagged or even sharp surface and that has a pink, yellow, red or brownish tint. At first, an actinic keratosis may be the size of a pimple. Rarely, an actinic keratosis may itch or be slightly tender.