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Windsurfing PapaMaui On the World WideWeb at papamaui.com Preventing Skin and Eye Damage While Windsurfing |
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Treating Skin Damage My Personal Experience with Actinic Keratoses
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Treating Skin Damage CURETTAGE AND ELECTRODESICATION. One of the most commonly used treatments in which the physician scrapes the lesion and controls bleeding with electrocautery-heat produced by an electric needle. SHAVE REMOVAL This procedure uses a scalpel to shave the keratosis. The shaving destroys the base of the lesion and the bleeding is stopped by cauterization. CRYOSURGERY A dermatologist will often freeze off the lesions with liquid nitrogen. Healing takes about two weeks but sometimes a white spot can result at the site of the old lesion. DERMABRASION This process removes the upper layers of skin by sanding or using a fine wire brush operating at 20-25,000 revolutions per minute. Redness and soreness usually disappear after a few days. LASER SURGERY This treatment, which is described as "invasive", focuses the beam from a carbon dioxide laser onto the lesion which vaporizes the outer layers of skin (epidermis and upper dermis). This may result in considerable swelling and sun sensitivity for up to several months following treatment, and sometimes even result in scarring. TOPICAL MEDICATIONS Several treatments are effective in removing keratoses, particularly when lesions are numerous and the above treatments would be impractical. 5-FLUOROURACIL (5-FU) 5-FU is generally recognized as the preferred treatment for AKs and skin cancer. The patient applies the medication twice daily for four to six weeks, with progress checked by a physician. This is an extremely invasive treatment which can cause serious discomfort due to skin breakdown. Adverse reactions to Efudex are: burning, crusting, contact dermatitis (inflammatory skin rash, erosions (shallow ulceration of the epidermis), erythema (redness of the skin due to congestion of the capillaries), hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin), irritation, pain, photosensitivity, pruritus (itching), scarring, rash, soreness and ulceration, emotional upset, insomnia, irritability, medicinal taste, stomatitis (inflammation of the oral mucosa), eosinophillia (the accumulation of an abnormally large number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes), thrombocytopenia (decrease of number of platelets in the blood resulting in potential for increased bleeding and decreased clotting), toxic granulation (the formation of small, red, grain like prominences on the raw surface of the affected skin, associated with the process of healing), aloperica (hair loss as a result of chemotherapy, usually temporary), blistering, bulbous pemphigoid (blisters), discomfort, ichthyosis (alligator skin), scaling, suppuration (formation and discharge of pus), swelling, telangiectasia (a permanent dilation of blood vessels, creating small focal red lesions), tenderness, urticaria (pale or reddened irregular, elevated patches and severe itching, hives), skin rash, conjunctival reaction (of the whites of the eyes), corneal reaction, lacrimation (shedding tears), nasal irritation, and finally, herpes simplex (resulting in throat, mouth and lip lesions). This is a treatment you don't want to take if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant due to potential hazards to the fetus, i.e. birth defects. Treatment stages include 1. Erythemia (redness of the skin); 2. Usually followed by vesiculation (formation of a closed membrane shell or "crocadile skin"; 3. Desquamation (shedding of the epithelial elements of the skin, in scales or small sheets; exfoliation); 4) Erosion (shallow ulceration of the epidermis); and 5) reepithelialization (the formation of new skin). Complete healing of the lesions may not be evident for 1 to 2 months following cessation of Efudex therapy. • Masoprocol cream, 10% The patient applies the medication twice daily for three to four weeks, with progress checked by a physician. This is a somewhat less invasive treatment which can result in redness and flaking but most reactions are usually more moderate than 5-FU. • Fluorhydroxyl Acid Peel with 5-FU This new technique incorporates the use of a glycolic acid peel along with Efudex, once a week for 6-12 weeks. First, a 70% glycolic acid peel is done over 6 minutes, then neutralized by water, followed by a single application of Efudex. There is almost no irritation experienced by the patient, and medical journals have shown that results are better than using the 5-FU alone. Reportedly, the procedure is well tolerated and the skin appears so normal that no one can tell they just had the peel done until the results start to show. In researching for this article, I found sources where you can buy up to 30% glycolic acid peel but it seems the 70% therapeutic product is reserved for medical use only. (http://store.yahoo.com/skindoctor/ac.html) Trichloroacetic Acid or Phenol Chemical Peel The chemical peel is usually applied while the patient is under light sedation. The top layers of the burned skin slough off and are usually replaced within seven days by growth of new epidermis. Chemical peels may result in considerable swelling and sun sensitivity for several weeks or months following treatment and can result in scarring. Levulan Kerastick This new non-surgical treatment uses a photo sensitizer stick containing 20% aminolevulinic acid that is physician applied directly to the lesion. The following day, patients return for a "blue" light treatment which activates the acid. The treatment claims to be noninvasive, have a high success rate and to result in clearance or improvement in four weeks (http://www.goldskincare.com ). Adverse reactions include bleeding. Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention as they may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine: burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles," stinging, or tingling feelings; darkening of treated skin; lightening of treated skin; scaling or crusting; skin sore; small red raised itchy bumps; swelling of skin; blister; oozing; open sore on skin ; pain; pus filled blister or pimple; raw skin; scabbing; tenderness.
Solaraze This a topical gel contains Diclofenac Sodium
which utilizes a Hyaluran Induced Targeting delivery technology. In
October of 2000, the U.S.A. Federal Drug Administration approved Solaraze
for the treatment of AKs. It's also approved in Canada and five member
states of the EU (France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and UK).
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