Age Spots : An Age Old Problem

Age spots are usually flat and can look similar to a large freckle. They can be a greyish colour, brown or black. Occasionally they can appear a little flaky, and I have had one or two that became slightly inflamed. Sometimes more than one age spot can appear in the same area making it look like one huge age spot.

Age spots are usually found in places that have had a lot of sun damage. In my case I have age spots (or giant freckles as I prefer to call them!) on the back of my hands, on my forehead, and on my shoulders.

Usually in areas that have age spots you will also notice other signs of sun damage to your skin. This can include the skin looking more wrinkly, drier, and generally having a less youthful appearance.

If like me you live in a very hot, sunny climate it is likely that you will develop age spots at a younger age than those in colder climates. (Well, there had to be some price to pay for our beautiful weather!) However, even people in northern europe and other cold climates can develop age spots although they usually occur at an older age than for fair skinned people that live in hot climates.

Age spots are in essence caused by sunshine or the sun's ultra violet rays. As the sun causes our skin to produce more melanin, over time repeated sun exposure can cause the melanin in our skin to group together into darker patches- age spots.

Not all age spots are sun dependent however. Some grouping of melanin can occur simply as a result of advancing age.

Artificial sources of UV light, such as sunbeds and solariums can also cause age spots, particularly in fair skinned people. This is another reason for them to be avoided as well as their danger in relation to causing serious skin cancers such as melanoma.

In reality though, your chance of developing age spots is like your chance of developing stretch marks. It is a genetic inherited tendency and although you can influence whether you get them by avoiding the sun and sunbeds, it is your genetic predisposition to them that will determine whether or not you develop them.

Here's the good news. Age spots do not turn into cancer, and are not cancerous.

They are a benign type of skin condition. However, if you have age spots there is a good chance that your skin has been exposed to a significant amount of ultra violet light over a prolonged length of time.

Before diagnosing yourself as having age spots you should clarify that this is what they are with your GP or dermatologist. In the part of the world where I live seeing a dermatologist once a year for a full skin cancer check is routine. If this is not the case where you live you should seek out a dermatologist or other doctor with an interest in skin to check that what you have are actually age spots and not something more serious.

In particular you should see a doctor about any new marks on your skin that are dark in color, getting bigger quickly, are larger than the end of a pencil, are itchy or crusting, or which have irregular pigmentation and/or irregular borders.

If in any doubt whatsoever please see your doctor as some forms of skin cancer are potentially very serious if not treated quickly.

When you do see your doctor they can usually tell you very quickly whether what you have is an age spot or not. I have made many such visits to my doctor, and a quick visual inspection has always been enough for diagnosis. If your doctor is in any way unsure about your age spot they might take a very small biopsy to be sent away for testing. This is a very quick procedure and is usually done there and then. In the vast majority of cases though an experienced doctor will be able to assess your skin marks within seconds leaving you free to leave.

Chemical peels can remove age spots by removing the top layer of skin. Chemicals similar to fruit acids are applied to the skin in varying strengths and they gently burn through the top layers of skin removing them.. Skin peels away and as new skin grows the age spots are gone. Like with other forms of treatment it is very important to use sun protection during and after this treatment.

In general chemical peels are gentler than another method of removing age spots called dermabrasion. Dermabrasion is where the skin is rubbed or sanded off using a brush that rotates. Although this ultimately results in age spot removal it can be quite harsh and the skin often scabs before healing occurs.