Visual Signs of Poor Health That You Probably Ignore But Shouldn’t

There are Rough Patches on Your Skin

Those crusty marks on your skin are known as keratosis. Seborrheic keratosis, to be exact. This benign condition causes tan, brown, or black growths that are waxy to the touch on the face, shoulders, chest, or back.

Seborrheic keratosis, though, is often confused for a far less benign condition known as actinic keratosis, or solar keratosis. The patches that form on your skin are from sun exposure and form on the face, ears, lips, hands, scalp, neck, and forearms. Since these patches take many years to form, you most often see them on people over the age of 40.

Why is solar keratosis so dangerous? While the percentage is small, the patches can become a form of skin cancer. This is why prevention is so important. Never spend extended periods outside in the sun without first using some kind of sunscreen.