EXPERT advice from Dr Zoe Williams, our resident specialist and NHS GP
This week Dr Zoe Williams helps a reader who is worried about a dry patch of skin.
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Q) I’M 59 years old and have had a dry patch of skin on the top of my head for about six months now.
My wife thinks I should get it checked out.
It’s about the size of a thumbnail.
Could it be skin cancer?
A) Your wife is right that you should get it checked.
I can’t diagnose you with certainty from this amount of information but it sounds a lot like a relatively common skin condition called actinic keratosis, which is caused by sun damage to the skin.
It commonly affects areas that have been exposed to the sun over many years, including bald parts of the scalp, along with the ears, face, backs of the hands and forearms.
If caught early enough, this condition is usually relatively easy to treat by cryotherapy (freezing) or by a minor surgery under local anaesthetic.
Sometimes a prescription cream or gel medication can be used to deal with the lesions at home.
It is important to treat the condition though, especially because, if left untreated, there’s a small chance that it can progress to squamous cell carcinoma, which is the most common type of skin cancer in the UK.
Called SCC, the area of skin can be raised and look scaly or crusty. It may feel sore, tender or bleed.
The presence of actinic keratosis indicates that there has been significant sun damage to the skin, so it’s important to be vigilant of any other skin changes – and get them checked.
From now on protect yourself against further sun damage by wearing SPF sunscreen and a hat, even when it’s not sunny.
