Every summer we are saturated with warnings about skin cancer, and especially for those of us who live up in the north. Most of us are under the impression that skin cancer only effects those who live in places like Florida, or far off in Australia. Well I am here to tell you that skin cancer has one of the highest numbers of fatality out of all the western world's most preventable diseases.

The main reason this is the case is because we all fail to read the warning signs. I'm sure if I could take a pole it would show that the vast majority of readers have never even heard of actinic keratosis, yet is one of the most dangerous of all skin conditions as it often leads to cancer. So how do we steer clear of skin cancer? First we must learn a thing or two about actinic keratosis. Only then can we learn how to detect it, treat it, and most importantly prevent it.

WHAT IS ACTINIC KERATOSIS?

If you are one of the many that haven't heard of actinic keratosis, also called solar keratosis, it begins as a scaly or crusty bump that arises on the skin's surface. The lower part of the lesion may be light or dark, tan, pink, red, a combination of these, or the same color as your skin. As it progresses the area may inflame, become itchy, or sometimes bleed.

The lesion develops slowly and generally reaches the size of an eighth to a quarter of an inch, and often you will see several of these at a time. Actinic keratosis is most likely to appear on the face, ears, scalp, neck, backs of the hands and forearms, shoulders, and lips. Most predominately, parts of the body most often exposed to sunshine. People may also have up to 10 times as many subclinical (invisible) lesions as visible, surface lesions.

WHY IS IT DANGEROUS?

Actinic keratosis is frequently viewed as the infancy of skin cancer which is why it is so commonly referred to as a precancer. When left untreated, about two to five percent of these lesions may progress to squamous cell carcinomas and the higher number of keratosis you possess, the higher the likelihood that one or more may turn into skin cancer.

HOW IT CAN BE PREVENTED

- Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially during the sun's peak hours

- Protect your skin with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and UV-blocking sunglasses

- Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher

- Inspect your skin from head to toe once every month.

- Get your skin analyzed by a specialist yearly

- Act swiftly on the discovery of any abnormalities and unusual inflammations

- Exfoliate dead skin cells and apply moisturizing cream after each shower

ALTERNATIVE SKIN CANCER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Due to the fact skin cancer can be formed from the dry, scaly inflammation patches experienced with actininc keratosis, looking after your skin on a consistent basis can be highly beneficial. The regular application of an irritation-free moisturizer will sooth any itchiness or irritation experienced. Meanwhile, the daily application of a non-toxic exfoliate is an effective treatment for keratosis due to the removal of precancer cells, stimulating the growth of new, healthy cells.