Symptoms:

• Rough and dry textured skin lesion
• A macule, patch, or growth on the skin
  • Limited to a discrete area (localized)
  • Located on the face, scalp, back of the hands, chest or other sun-exposed areas
  • Gray, pink, red (erythematous), or the same color as the skin
  • Initially flat and scaly on the surface, becoming slightly raised
  • Becoming hard and wart-like or gritty, rough, and "sandpapery" -- may develop a horn-like texture from overgrowth of skin keratin layer (hyperkeratosis)

Signs and tests:

The health care provider bases the diagnosis on the appearance of the skin growth. A skin biopsy could reveal signs of cancerous changes, if present.