Do you spend most of your time outside, exposing your skin to direct sunlight? Luckily, you are not the only one facing them! If having age spots on the skin, it’s crucial to bring them to a dermatologist\’s attention to receive a confirmed diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
In this blog by Celestee Skin, Hair and Laser Clinic dermatologist, we will be learning what age spots are and their causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
What Are Age Spots?
Solar lentigines, often referred to as age spots, are harmless, at, dark-colored patches that form due to prolonged sun exposure. Found on sun-exposed skin, they result from an overproduction of melanin, leading to localized hyperpigmentation.
Age Spots Causes
Age spots on the skin typically occur due to extra melanin production in localized areas of the skin. Melanin imparts natural color to the skin.
Mostly, age spot causes are a combination of genetics and environment. Fairer people, people aged 40 and above, and people with a family history of age spots and lifestyle involving excessive sun exposure have high chances of developing age spots.
As the skin ages, the skin-repairing ability is lost post sun exposure or use of artificial UV radiation and that’s when age spots show up.
Symptoms of Age Spots
Look for the following symptoms of age spots for identifying age spots on arms and legs or other areas:
- Color- Age spots may sometime look-like tan-brown, gray, or black.
- Size- The size of a freckle usually appears small.
- Texture- The spots are at and often share a similar texture with the surrounding skin.
- Shape- Age spots usually appear as round or oval-shaped marks with clear, distinct borders.
- Grouping- Age spots may be located either alone or in clusters.
Common Areas Where Age Spots Appear
Age spots commonly develop on sun-exposed areas of the body. Given below are the areas –
- Face
- Arms
- Legs
- Back
- Shoulder
- Back of the hands.
Diagnosing Age Spots
Age spot diagnosis might involve:
Visual examination– A dermatologist can easily identify age spots by just having a close, thorough view of the skin. Sometimes, a dermatoscope, a handheld magnifying tool may be used by dermatologists for age spot identification.
Skin biopsy– Sometimes, age spot appearance may be confused with a sign of melanoma- a skin cancer. To rule out skin cancer possibility, a sample of the affected skin is taken and sent to the laboratory.
Age Spots Treatment in Hyderabad
Age spots treatment is typically not required for medical purposes. People who are not very happy with the age spots\’ appearance are tend opt for removing age spots for aesthetic purposes.
There are a variety of treatments available to diminish the appearance of age spots. These include:
Topical treatment– This includes the use of topical skin-lightening products like those containing hydroquinone, cortisone, and retinoids.
Chemical peeling– This treatment involves applying a chemical solution on age spots to peel off the skin layers damaged by acid, thereby fading age spots.
IPL therapy or laser treatment– High-intensity light beam is focused on the age spots to thermally destroy extra melanin in the skin and even boost fresh collagen growth, thereby revealing lighter, healthier, fresh skin.
Microdermabrasion– This treatment involves gentle sanding of the skin with an abrasive tool to remove the uppermost, unevenly toned, or textured skin and reduce the age spots\’ appearance.
Cryosurgery– This treatment involves freezing the aged spots with liquid nitrogen so that they can be removed from the skin.
Skin Care for Age Spots
Here’s what a dermatologist recommends for preventing age spots or reducing age spots on face appearance:
- Regularly exfoliate the skin
- Treat the skin gently with non-irritating products
- Re-apply sunscreen, if sweating or have been swimming
- Use dermatologist-prescribed topical products for fading age spots
- Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen of minimum 30 SPF, whenever stepping outdoors in daytime hours, even if it\’s not sunny.
Get Age Spots Treatment Today!
For all those people who spend most of their time outdoors in the sun, protecting skin from age spots is important. The skin age spots are obvioulsy harmless dark spots that usually show on sun-exposed areas of the body, especially the face.
Age spots treatment in Hyderabad is available at Celestee Skin, Hair and Laser Clinic, for people who want to get rid of them for aesthetic reasons. Anyone concerned with the changes in size, shape, texture, grouping, and color of their age spots needs to get their age spots checked out by a dermatologist and receive appropriate treatment.
FAQs on Age Spots
What Are the Main Causes of Age Spots?
Age spots are one of the skin pigmentation concerns that usually develop in sun-exposed areas in people genetically prone to suffer from this condition.
Can Age Spots Be Prevented?
Yes, by limiting sun exposure and avoiding artificial UV irradiation, age spots will not develop.
Are Age Spots Harmful?
No. Age spots are just one of the aesthetic skin concerns. Rarely, they can be harmful, if they unexpectedly change in appearance and lead to skin cancer.
What Is the Best Treatment for Age Spots?
Various treatments can work to reduce age spot appearance. The best one is determined by a dermatologist after closely examining the patient’s skin condition.
Can Age Spots Appear on the Legs and Arms?
Yes. Legs and arms are two of the body sites that are exposed to sunlight and so age spots are likely to develop in such areas.
If one wants to prevent their occurrence they must take proper care of their skin with proper care and sun protection. For better results for age spot management consult with a dermatologist at Celestee Skin, Hair and Laser Clinic for age spot removal to achieve a healthy and flawless skin.
