Hormonal changes can cause brown spots to form on the surface of the skin. This common skin condition, known as melasma, appears mainly in women with darker skin tones. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, this condition is...
Melanoma is a cancerous growth of the pigment producing cells, called melanocytes. It can occur on the skin, eyes or mucus membranes. Malignant melanoma is the most serious of all skin cancers, causing more than 8,400 deaths per year in the United...
Dark patches showing up on your face due to injury or acne pose a serious cosmetic concern for some. Years of sun exposure and environmental toxins play a major role in hyperpigmentation of the facial skin. It is important to get a thorough...
Age spots are commonly referred to as "liver spots" or---in the medical community---lentigo. Removal and treatment of age spots is routinely performed for cosmetic purposes only. The spots are increased pigmentation seen in the epidermis of the...
Light brown skin discolorations occur on people with light or dark complexions; the spots are simply a little darker than surrounding skin. The darkness is caused by local overproduction of melanin, the brown pigment in all human skin. Years of...
Fun in the sun in your teenage years can result in several not-so-fun side effects as you age, Mayo Clinic says. These include skin that's dried out, scaly, heavily wrinkled, riddled with small red veins or even skin that appears thin and nearly...
A malignant melanoma is the most severe type of skin cancer, characterized by invasive, abnormal skin cell growth that can easily spread throughout the body. There are four different subtypes of malignant melanoma, as well as a rare congenital...
Skin cancer is a condition that occurs when genetic mutations cause skin cells to grow abnormally. In the majority of cases, exposure to ultraviolet light induces these genetic mutations; however, a weakened immune system, exposure to toxins and...
Age spots are flat, darkened areas on the skin. They most often form in the places that get the most sun, including the face, shoulders, forearms and hands. People who get them are usually older than 40. If they do not bother you, you do not need...
Dark spots on the skin have several other names used interchangeably, including age spots, sun spots and liver spots. These spots occur when the melanin pigment in your skin accumulates in high concentrations in the skin. In most cases, dark spots...
Sunbathing, watching your kids play sports or other activities in the sun can give you a healthy looking glow, but can also damage your skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, sun damage does not occur with just one day of overexposure, but over a...
Melanoma is a dangerous type of skin cancer and is the leading cause of death from skin disease, the National Center for Biotechnology Information notes. There are four principal types of melanoma, the Center states, including superficial...
Burn blisters may be caused by heat (fire, steam or friction), chemicals, electricity or radiation (sunburn). The three degrees of burn damage are first (superficial redness and some swelling), second (both top and second layer of skin is affected...
Age spots, or liver spots, are a common condition in older adults, although they can affect people of all ages. These appear as flat, brown or tan spots and typically develop on sun-exposed areas of skin, such as the face, arms and hands. While...
If you care about the condition of your skin, you are familiar with sunscreen. Sunscreen labels warn against getting the product in your eyes, and the idea of putting bad-tasting substances on the lips is unappealing. Both areas need protection...
Age spots, also known as liver spots or solar lentigo, occur when excess pigment accumulates in the skin, usually due to long-term exposure to sunlight and other ultraviolet light. Age spots are considered harmless and require no medical...
If you have dark spots on your upper lip, the best way to treat them depends in large part on what caused them. Not only does understanding the cause of your hyperpigmentation help you choose the treatment that will be most effective, it also...
Your mom may have told you that freckles are angle kisses, but they are actually signs of damage to the skin. The cells that create melanin pigment in your skin, melanocytes, normally help create a protective layer in the skin to protect it from...
Dark spots on the legs can develop for many reasons. Spots can be as harmless as freckles or a sign or symptom of a serious disease. If you have any concerns about dark spots that develop on your legs or other parts of your body, it's best to...
Sun exposure can lead to mild to severe skin reactions. Ultraviolet rays are an invisible kind of radiation that comes from the sun. These rays can penetrate the skin and cause severe skin problems. Melanin is a natural chemical found in the skin...
Age spots, also known as liver spots or solar lentigo, occur when pigment accumulates in the skin, usually because of excess exposure to the sun over a long period. Age spots take many years to form, which makes them most common in people over the...
Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, can affect anyone. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is 100 percent curable if detected in its early stages. But it become more difficult to treat as it progresses. Four main types of...
Skin is made up of three layers, the epidermis or outer layer of the skin, the dermis, or midsection of the skin and the subcutis, or the underlying layer of the skin. The dermis may be the most important part of the skin when it comes to...
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer because of its propensity to spread or metastasize to other parts of the body. It is the most common cancer among young women in their late 20s, and it is rising at a faster rate than any other cancer....
Melanoma is also referred to a malignant melanoma because it is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanoma spreads rapidly once it develops. Early detection and treatment provide a high cure rate, according to the American Academy of Dermatology....
Liver spots, also called age spots and senile lentigines, are flat spots that range from the size of a freckle to an inch or more. These areas of increased pigmentation that appear on the skin are harmless and painless. They range in color from...
Dark skin spots on the neck are likely a form of hyperpigmentation called solar lentigines, more commonly known as age spots, liver spots or sun spots. These dark spots are described by MedlinePlus as "extremely common" in people older than 40....
Tazorac is a topical medication commonly prescribed for the treatment of mild or moderate acne. It is a commercial form of the drug tazarotene, and achieves its effects by unclogging your pores and preventing the formation of acne blemishes called...
Whether you have had a dusting of freckles on your face and arms since you were a child or have recently observed developing age spots, freckles and brown spots are conditions affected by the brown pigments in your skin. Understanding how to...