Actinic keratosis treatment can be directed at individual lesions using destructive modalities such as cryotherapy, electrosurgery, excision, or curettage. Other topical treatments such as zyclara, aldara or efudex treat the entire field of sun damage.
Zyclara (Imiquimod 3.75%)
Zyclara (Imiquimod 3.75%) is a topical medication that is used to treat actinic keratosis that presents on the face or scalp. Zyclara is a medication that belongs to.. Read more.
Aldara (Imiquimod 5%)
Aldara (Imiquimod 5%) is a topical medication that belong to a group called immune response modifiers. These immune modifiers help the body identify the actinic keratosis, and to activate and aid the immune system in destroying the foreign lesions. Read more.
5-Flurouracil (5-FU)
5-FU is a topical medication that is used in the treatment of actinic keratosis as well as the treatment of skin cancer. It inhibits the replication of cells with an abnormal growth rate, which effectively causes the actinic keratosis to die off over time...
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Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is a very common method of therapy when a growth needs to be destroyed or removed. In this procedure, liquid nitrogen is used to quickly freeze the lesion at very cold temperatures. The rapid freezing and thawing process damages and destroys the cells that make up AK...
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Curettage
Curettage is a procedure in which a curette, a surgical tool that is used to scrape and scoop tissue, is used to physically remove the actinic keratosis lesion. As this procedure involves physical removal...
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Excision
Excision is a method of surgical removal. In this procedure various surgical tools are used to cut the entire lesion, usually with a bit of surrounding skin to ensure that the entire actinic keratosis is removed...
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Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy involves exposing the actinic keratosis to laser light for a short amount of time, after a dye which sensitizes the skin to light is applied to add to the treatment's efficacy...
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After Treatment
Most cases of AKs can be treated and cured. However, the fact that actinic keratosis has developed suggests that the skin has taken a large amount of accumulated sun damage over the years. While the AK treatments are effective in removing the AK lesions, it unfortunately does not remove or reverse the sun damage that the skin has accumulated.
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