Your skin changes with age. Both biological and environmental factors play a significant roll in these changes. Most of these changes take years to develop. One of the more common is dark spots. Often referred to as age spots or liver spots, these solar lentigines are a result of repeated sun exposure.
Characteristics
Age spots typically develop on areas of the skin most exposed to the sun, advises the National Institutes of Health. They're often seen on the hands, shoulders, upper back, face and tops of the feet. They can range in color from brown to black, sometime even taking on a hue of gray. Most age spots are oval in shape and flush with the skin.
Development
Although liver spots are linked to age, they're actually a result of ultraviolet rays. When you expose your skin to the sun, it produces melanin, which gives your skin the darker color of a tan. The Mayo Clinic details that some of the melanin clusters together, leaving spots on the skin. This, coupled with an increased production of melanin as you grow older, gradually darkens these age spots.
Diagnosis
Age spots are harmless. However, they can look similar in appearance to melanoma, a form of skin cancer that originates within those cells that produce melanin. Because of this, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a medical evaluation of dark spots that develop on the skin.
Treatment
True age spots don't require medical treatment, but there are products and procedures that can help them fade. Retinoids and hydroquinone are really the only topical medications that can fade age spots, according to the Mayo Clinic, and it can take several months of use to provide results. If you desire more immediate results, laser therapy, cryotherapy, microdermabrasion and chemical peels may be better options for you. These cosmetic procedures destroy the clustered melanin or cause new epithelial cells to replace discolored one. In either case, age spots fade over time.
Prevention
Avoiding sun exposure is the most effective method of preventing age spots. If you can't avoid the sun entirely, wear sunscreens with an SPF of at least 30 as well as protective clothing whenever outdoors. Long sleeves, pants and hats can all shield your skin from the sun. Also, limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., advises the Mayo Clinic. During this time, the sun is at its most damaging.
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