Solar keratosis on the hand of an 83 year old male patient. These are dry, scaly patches of skin that have been damaged by the sun. The damage occurs years before the lesions appear. Solar, or actinic, keratosis is mostly found on areas of skin that are most often exposed to the sun, including the backs of hands and the face. It is important to remove the lesions as they can develop into skin cancer. They may be removed by scraping, freezing with liquid nitrogen, drugs or surgery. New keratoses often appear at or near the site of a previous keratosis, therefore regular check-ups are needed.