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Causes and Identifying Features of Age Spots
Age spots, commonly called liver spots or brown spots, often plague individuals as they age. Unfortunately, individuals who spend any amount of time in the sun may expect to see these spots emerge after the age of 40. These spots are flats, gray or brown and sometimes black. They vary in size and usually will appear on the face, hands and shoulders-or those areas which are most exposed to the sun. Although they are most common after the age of 40 they can affect younger people as well.
True age spots are harmless but they can mimic cancerous growths. For this reason they should be evaluated by your primary care physician in order to ensure that they are not the early stages of skin cancer.
For cosmetic reasons, liver spots or age spots can be lightened with skin bleaching products or removed at your dermatologist’s office. But, the best way to treat age spots is to prevent them in the first place. This means to avoid the sun and using a high quality sunscreen to protect the skin.
Damage to the skin by the sun is not immediately obvious. While a sunburn may fade, tanned and eventually disappear the underlying damage to the dermis will continue to evolve in the coming decades. This damage eventually comes out as liver spots or sunspots or age spots.
These spots can range in size from a freckle to more than a centimeter across and may even group together to make them more prominent. Often they are accompanied by others signs of sun damage such as dry rough skin or thinner more translucent looking skin. Any skin lesion which is darkly pigmented, increases in size or has been in your regular border or unusual combination of colors should be evaluated by your primary care physician or dermatologist.
Individuals who have light-colored or fear of skin or have a history of frequent or intense sun exposure were sunburn will have a greater risk of developing age spots over the age of 40.
