Treating Pre-Cancers (Actinic Keratosis) in Layton, Utah

Introduction

If you have lived in Utah for any length of time, you likely have some sun damage. One of the most common issues I treat is Actinic Keratosis (AK)—rough, scaly patches on the face, scalp, or hands caused by years of UV exposure.

These are not just dry skin; they are pre-cancers. If left untreated, they can turn into Squamous Cell Carcinoma (a form of skin cancer).

At my clinic in Layton, I take a proactive approach. We don’t just wait for cancer to form; we treat the damage early to prevent it.

When explaining how we treat Actinic Keratosis, I like to compare your skin to a garden.

Imagine you look at your garden and see a few weeds popping up.

• The Visible Weeds: These are the rough spots you can feel and see right now.

• The Invisible Seeds: For every weed you see, there are likely dozens of seeds hidden in the soil waiting to sprout next week.

We have two ways to handle this: Spot Treatments and Field Therapies.

1. Spot Treatment (Pulling the Weed)

   For isolated spots, the most common treatment is Cryotherapy.

   • The Method: I use liquid nitrogen to freeze the individual rough patch. This destroys the abnormal cells, causing them to crust and fall off a few days later.
   • The Pro: It is quick, covered by insurance, and effective for the spots we can see right now.
   • The Con: It does nothing for the “seeds” nearby. You may come back in six months with new spots right next to the old ones.
2. Field Therapy (Treating the Whole Lawn)
   If you have widespread sun damage (multiple AKs), “pulling weeds” one by one becomes a never-ending battle. In these cases, we use Field Therapy. This treats the entire area (like the whole face or scalp) to clear the visible spots AND the invisible damage before it surfaces.
   • • We offer four powerful Field Therapies at our Layton Parkway clinic:
       • A. Chemotherapy Creams (5-FU or Imiquimod) This is a prescription cream you apply at home for a few weeks.
         • How it works: The cream selectively attacks abnormal pre-cancerous cells while sparing normal skin.
         • What to expect: It will cause your face to become red, scaly, and crusted. This reaction is actually a good sign—it means the cream is finding and destroying the hidden damage
       • B. Photodynamic Therapy (Red Light Therapy) PDT is a high-tech, in-office procedure.
         • The Process: We apply a photosensitizing medication (Levulan) to your skin and let it incubate (soak in). The medication is absorbed more by the pre-cancerous cells than the normal cells. We then expose your skin to a specialized Red Light, which activates the medication and destroys the precancerous cells.
         • The Benefit: It treats the whole face in one visit, and the downtime is usually just a few days of redness (like a sunburn).
       • C. Medium-Depth Chemical Peels This is a fantastic option that blends medical treatment with cosmetic results.
         • The Process: We apply a medical-grade acid to peel off the top layers of damaged skin.
         • The Benefit: It physically removes the pre-cancerous cells while also smoothing fine lines, improving texture, and reducing brown spots. You get cancer prevention and rejuvenation in one treatment.
       • D. Laser Treatments
         • I offer ablative laser to vaporize the problem areas, but with the dual benefit of being able to treat the rest of the face as well for full-face rejuvenation. I also offer MultiFrax laser treatments as a non-ablative option with less downtime. Both of these cause the skin to produce new, healthier, non-sun-damaged skin cells to replace the precancers. 

Which Option is Right for You?

During your skin check, we will look at how many AKs you have and discuss your downtime tolerance. Whether you need a quick spray of liquid nitrogen or a full “lawn treatment” with PDT, we have the tools to protect your skin.

Schedule Your Skin Check

Don’t ignore those rough patches. Catching them now prevents surgery later.

Call 801-773-4840 to schedule a consultation

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