Sun Damage - Solar or Actinic keratoses

Solar or Actinic keratoses are the commonest skin lesions resulting from sun-damaged skin. A solar keratosis is a rough or scaly area of skin that is caused by repeated sun damage over many years. They are usually harmless but there is a very small risk of some actinic keratoses progressing to a form of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma (see skin cancer). Actinic keratoses are not contagious.

Solar lentigos also known as a sun-induced freckle or senile lentigo, are dark (hyperpigmented) lesion caused by natural or artificial ultraviolet (UV) light. Solar lentigos are benign, but they do indicate excessive sun exposure, a risk factor for the development of skin cancer.