What Are the Symptoms of Actinic Keratosis?
Actinic keratoses most commonly occur on areas of skin that receive lots of sun exposure -- like the face, ears, the scalp of bald men, and the backs of the hands and arms. The lesions may be skin-colored, reddish-brown, or yellowish-tan. They may look like a raised bump, be flat, or may feel like a dry patch of skin. The skin-colored lesions may be noticed more by touch, because they tend to feel like sandpaper.
Actinic keratoses are not tender, but if you have a lesion that fits their description and is tender, it may have morphed into a type of skin cancer. If you have any type of skin lesion that is new, tender, bleeding or changing in appearance, you should see a dermatologist.