Floridians love the sun, but the sun doesn’t love your skin. Its damaging UV rays on unprotected skin cause signs of aging, an increased risk for skin cancer, and actinic keratosis (AK).
AKs are scaly patches that develop on your skin’s top layer, typically on areas that get lots of sun — ears, face, lips, forearms, neck, and the backs of the hands. If you don’t have a habit of protecting your scalp from the sun by wearing hats, this is another place where actinic keratoses can emerge.
Our caring team of skin specialists at Z-ROC Dermatology offers an innovative treatment for addressing actinic keratoses. Photodynamic, or red light therapy, works wonders on these unsightly spots, and we can provide you with a highly personalized treatment plan.
Typically, an AK grows gradually, but if you don’t seek treatment, there’s a 5-10% chance that it will evolve into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
SCC is the second most common type of skin cancer — with 1.8 million cases diagnosed each year. The squamous cells are flat cells near your epidermis (the top layer of skin) that shed and replace themselves continuously.
When UV exposure damages your DNA, abnormalities can occur in these cells. Though they commonly manifest as rough skin patches, they may also:
Here’s another worrisome statistic: Discovery of squamous cell carcinoma has increased by a shocking 200% over the last three decades.
Z-ROC Dermatology offers a safe, noninvasive, and successful treatment for actinic keratoses called red light or photodynamic therapy (PDT).
When you come to Z-ROC Dermatology for red light therapy to address an actinic keratosis, we carefully apply aminolevulinic acid (a photosynthesizing agent) to the treatment area. During the three-hour pre-illumination period, cancer cells absorb photosynthesizing agents.
Then, we direct a special UV light to the area. The light exposure activates the agents and kills the cancer cells. However, the treatment is selective, so your healthy cells remain unharmed.
Before treatment, avoid the sun, refrain from using makeup or skin products, and stop using retinoids or products that contain retinol for one week. If you have a darker skin tone, we prescribe our Z*RO Dark Spots product for you to use for at least two weeks before treatment to prepare your skin for PDT treatment.
Men should shave the day of their PDT treatment, and it’s important to notify us if you have any history of cold sores. If you do, we prescribe oral antiviral medication, which you begin taking on treatment day.
Most people tolerate the PDT treatment well and only have slight stinging and temporary pinkness. If you have high pain sensitivity, we can prescribe narcotic pain medication, but if you go this route, you’ll need to arrange for a driver to transport you to and from your appointment.
After we apply the photosynthesizing agent on treatment day, avoid the sun and don’t wash your face. You may experience a tingly feeling following the pre-illumination time and during your treatment's 10-20-minute activation period (when the red light is on).
We discuss how to care for your skin after treatment, including how to address post-treatment swelling or discomfort, when you can shower, and which activities to avoid. We also explain the peeling process in the first month after treatment and how to care for your skin.
You can purchase all the pre- and post-procedure skin products you’ll need here at our office.
You’re in the best hands when you seek care for actinic keratoses at Z-ROC Dermatology. We listen, educate, and care.
Call our East Oakland Park Boulevard office to make an appointment at 954-564-0400 or book one online.
