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1 Melanoma | 2 Moles | 3 Seborrhoeic keratoses | 4 Dermatofibroma | 5 Haemangioma | 6 Sunspots | 7 BCC | 8 SCC

Solar Keratoses (Sunspots)

What are Sunspots?

Sunspots (solar keratoses, actinic keratoses) are premalignant skin lesions ie. may turn into skin cancer at a later time. They are caused by excessive long-term sun exposure. They are seen as relatively flat, scaly, and often red areas on sun-exposed skin. The sun exposure causing your sunspots may have occurred many years prior to their appearance. You don't need to have recent sun exposure to get sun spots!

click on image to enlarge

Why do they need treatment?

While sunspots are not cancerous they can turn into skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma). While the potential for a single sunspot to turn cancerous is low, the more you have the more likely you are to get skin cancer. Once skin cancer has arisen from a sunspot the lesion usually requires surgical excision.

How are they treated?

The treatment involves only superficial destructive procedures. The most common treatment is cryotherapy. This therapy involves liquid nitrogen freezing which results in destruction of the top layer of your skin - the epidermis. There are also some creams which are effective in removing sunspots.

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