Your skin may have a rough, scaly area known as actinic keratosis (AK). Typically, it appears as a little reddish bump. But occasionally, it could be dark or tan. Although an AK is not cancer, it can become cancer if it is not treated right away. Actinic translates to sun. The majority of people get AKs with advancing age; the older you are, the more likely you are to do so