Actinic keratosis, or solar keratosis, is a skin condition that develops with age and is primarily caused by long term sun exposure. The condition presents with hard, dry, scaly spots of skin, usually on the scalp, face, back of the hands and forearms.
Normally they don’t pose a serious problem but it is important to get them checked as there is a chance they might turn into skin cancer at some point.
You should see your GP if a patch on your skin begins to grow and becomes large very quickly, starts hurting or bleeds. You should also seek your GP’s advice if you have had actinic keratosis before and think it may be a new formation.