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What is age spots?
Ultraviolet (UV) light accelerates the production of melanin. Melanin is the dark pigment in the epidermis that gives your skin its normal color. The extra melanin produced to protect the deeper layers of your skin creates the darker color of a tan. Age spots develop when the extra melanin becomes "clumped" or is produced in higher concentrations than normal.
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age spots information from trusted sources:
Age spots
Age spots also called liver spots and solar lentigines are flat, gray, brown or black spots. They vary in size and usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms areas most exposed to the sun. Though age spots are very common in adults older than age 40, they can affect younger people as well. Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Age spots
Age Spots are flat brown spots that appear anywhere on the body as it ages. Also called liver spots, they are the results of a waste build-up known as "lipofuscin accumulato" (brown pigment granules representing lipid-containing residues of lysosomal digestion). Lipids denoting substances extracted from animal or vegetable cells by nonpolar or "fat" solvents, an operational term describing a solubility characteristic, not a chemical substance. These spots are often thought to be harmless, but actually they are signs that the cells are full of accumulated waste that is slowly destroying cells in the body, including the brain and liver cells. They are the surface sign of free radical intoxication of the body. Read more on
www.emedicinal.com
Liver spots
Your skin changes as you age. You might notice wrinkles, age spots and dryness. Your skin also becomes thinner and loses fat, making it less plump and smooth. It might take longer to heal, too. Sunlight is a major cause of skin aging. You can protect yourself by staying out of the sun when it is strongest, using sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, wearing protective clothing, and avoiding sunlamps and tanning beds. Cigarette smoking also contributes to wrinkles. The wrinkling increases with the amount of cigarettes and number of years a person has smoked. Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Age Spots- Causes, Removal, & Treatment
Patient's Guide to Age Spots is a dermatologist reviewed resource on age spots, sun spots, liver spots, treatment, removal, and other types of sun damage to ... Read more on
www.agespots.net
Liver spot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From the age of 40 onwards the skin is less able to regenerate from sun exposure, and liver spots are very common in this age group, particularly in those ... Read more on
en.wikipedia.org
Age Spots
Jun 17, 2010 ... Dermatologist-reviewed information about what causes age spots, what can help fade age spots, and when you should see a dermatologist ... Read more on
www.skincarephysicians.com
Freckles Causes, Types, Removal and Skin Bleaching on MedicineNet.com
Mar 16, 2011 ... The spots are multiple and may develop randomly on the skin, especially after repeated ... Next: What are "liver spots" or "age spots"? ... Read more on
www.medicinenet.com
Age Spots (Liver Spots, Solar Lentigo) - InteliHealth:
Jun 21, 2010 ... Age spots (also called liver spots or solar lentigo) are ... Age spots also can be caused by bruising that leaves blood pigment behind. ... Read more on
www.intelihealth.com
Sun Damage Pictures Slideshow: Sunburn, Melanoma, Carcinoma, and More
Jul 21, 2010 ... But the cumulative effects of sun exposure put us at higher risk of cellular damage, early wrinkling, age spots, actinic keratoses, and skin ... Read more on
www.webmd.com
AMD
There is currently no cure for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). With dry AMD, the deterioration of vision is very slow. You will not go completely blind as a result of dry AMD, and your peripheral vision (outer vision) should not be affected. Read more on
www.nhs.uk
Contents
Lifestyle and home remedies
Many fade creams and lotions are available in department stores, in drugstores and on the Internet to lighten age spots and other skin discoloration. These may be good options depending on the darkness of the age spot and how often you apply the cream. Successful treatment needs to penetrate through the base of the epidermis the topmost layer of skin where the extra pigment is located. This means regular use over several weeks or months may be necessary before any noticeable results occur.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Preparing for your appointment
You're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or primary care doctor. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred to a specialist in skin diseases (dermatologist).
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www.mayoclinic.com
Prevention
To help avoid age spots, minimize your sun exposure. If you must be in the sun, use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. It should be a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which means it blocks both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Risk factors
Although anyone can develop age spots, you may be more likely to develop the condition if you: Have light-colored or fair skin; Have a history of frequent or intense sun exposure or sunburn
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www.mayoclinic.com
Symptoms
Age spots typically develop in people with a fair complexion but can be seen even in those with darker skin. Age spots: Are flat, oval areas of increased pigmentation; Are usually brown, black or gray; Occur on skin that has had the most sun exposure over the years, such as the backs of hands, tops of feet, face, shoulders and upper back
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Tests and diagnosis
Diagnosing age spots may include: Visual inspection. Your doctor can diagnose age spots by visually inspecting your skin.; Skin biopsy. If there's any doubt, your doctor may do other tests, such as a skin biopsy. During a skin biopsy, your doctor takes a small sample of your skin (biopsy) for microscopic analysis. A skin biopsy is usually done in a doctor's office using a local anesthetic.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Treatments and drugs
If you're unhappy with the appearance of age spots, treatments are available to lighten or remove them. Since the pigment is located at the base of the epidermis the topmost layer of skin any treatments meant to lighten the age spots will need to penetrate through this layer of skin.
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www.mayoclinic.com