Part A: Sun Safety Essentials
Why it matters
- Sun exposure ages skin (wrinkles, spots) and raises risk of skin cancer (including melanoma). Protection works at any age.
Sun-smart steps
- Seek shade from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Wear protective clothing: long sleeves, pants, wide-brim hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses.
- Use sunscreen correctly:
- Broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher.
- Put on 15 minutes before sun, use enough: about a shot-glass (1 oz/30 mL) for an adult body.
- Reapply every 2 hours and after swimming/sweating.
- Don’t forget ears, neck, scalp (through hair part), tops of feet, and hands.
- Choose what you’ll actually use: lotions for dry skin, gels for oily/hairy areas, sticks for around eyes, mineral formulas for sensitive skin.
- Avoid tanning beds—they increase melanoma risk.
Skin self-checks
- Once a month, look for new or changing spots using the ABCDEs of melanoma and the “ugly duckling” rule. See a clinician for anything concerning.
Vitamin D
- Get it safely from food and supplements if needed—not from sunburns.
Part B: Actinic Keratoses (AKs) – “Sun Spots”
What they are
- Rough, scaly spots on sun-exposed skin (face, ears, scalp, arms, hands) caused by long-term sun damage. They can feel like sandpaper and may be easier to feel than see.
Why they matter
- AKs are precancerous. A small number can turn into a type of skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) over time. Treating them reduces risk.
Who gets them
- People with lots of sun exposure over the years, lighter skin, outdoor jobs/hobbies; also common on bald scalp.
What they look/feel like
- Persistent rough patches, sometimes pink or skin-colored; may be tender.
- On lips, called actinic cheilitis—persistent dryness, scaling, or cracking on the lower lip.
When to see a clinician
- If a spot is new, growing, painful, thick, or bleeding, or doesn’t go away.
- If a “wart-like” or scaly spot keeps returning in the same place.
Treatment options
- Spot treatments:
- Cryotherapy (quick liquid nitrogen freeze) for individual lesions.
- Curettage (gentle scraping) in some cases.
- Field treatments (areas with many sun-damaged spots):
- Prescription creams (5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, tirbanibulin, diclofenac).
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT): a light-activated treatment done in clinic.
- Your clinician will choose based on location, number of spots, skin type, and downtime preferences.
Aftercare and prevention
- Treated areas may get red/crusty for a short time—this means the treatment is working on damaged cells.
- Maintain sun protection to prevent new AKs.
- Regular skin checks (at least yearly, more often if you’ve had many AKs or skin cancers).