Doctors can remove the damaged skin cells with minimally invasive procedures. Most of them can happen in a doctor’s office. Some methods require more than one visit and repeated treatments.
Laser resurfacing. Medical-grade lasers are used to remove very precise areas of skin. The doctor can control how deep the laser penetrates and precisely target the actinic cheilitis. Your treated skin may be raw until new healthier skin appears.
Cryosurgery: This is sometimes called freezing. Cryosurgery is a common technique for removing skin blemishes like warts. Your doctor will apply a freezing substance like liquid nitrogen to the actinic cheilitis. The lesion will later blister and flake or peel away. You may need more than one treatment to remove all the layers.
Chemical peel. Your doctor will use a high-strength chemical solution to destroy the top layers of the skin of the actinic cheilitis. This chemical peel is more intense than the version you might get for cosmetic purposes. Over-the-counter chemical exfoliants will not remove actinic cheilitis.
Curettage. Curettage is a procedure to scrape and cut away the damaged area of your skin. Doctors use this if they think the actinic cheilitis is particularly deep.
Preventing Actinic Cheilitis
The best way to prevent any damage from UV rays is to protect yourself from the sun. Avoid using tanning beds or tanning lights. You can get a spray tan for an attractive glow without the risk of skin damage.
You can protect your face when you are outdoors by wearing a hat with a wide brim. Stay in the shade when you can. Use sunscreen on your face and reapply it often when you are exposed to sunlight. Look for lip balms with sunscreen to protect your lips from actinic cheilitis.
Contact your doctor if you are concerned that you have actinic cheilitis or any sort of actinic keratosis.