The presence of actinic keratosis indicates a lesion caused by the sun and may be the first stage in the development of skin cancer (precancerous skin condition).

It develops slowly over several years. Actinic keratosis usually appears on the face, ears, scalp, neck, back of the hands, forearms and lips. It's important to detect these lesions in their early stages to prevent them from increasing in size and invading the surrounding tissues. Sometimes they can lead to metastasis or spread to the internal organs.

This lesion can turn into squamous cell carcinoma.