What are risk factors for keratoses?

• Light-skinned people who often have freckles and burn quickly are most at risk • The over 40s who have been exposed to the sun are also at a greater risk of actinic keratosis, as are people who work outside because of their intense exposure to the sun • Too much exposure to the sun for many years eventually halts the development of keratinocytes in the outer layers of the epidermis • UV rays from the sun damage the skin's DNA, which causes this abnormal cell growth (dysplasia)