Age spots are discoloration of the skin, which begin to appear in the 40-50 age range. Such spots, which are usually seen in the facial area, can also be seen on the back, hands and arms. Age spots, which have a light or dark brown appearance, are rough and can be of different sizes.
According to research by skin experts, brown spots appear on the skin of one out of every 3 women over 40 years old. For women over 50, this rate reaches up to 90%. With aging, the number and size of skin spots increases.
Why Do Age Spots Occur?
What is Age Spot? The most important factor in the formation of age spots is the sun. Age spots caused by the sun are called “solar lentigo”. It has been found that this type of spots is more common in people who have been exposed to sunlight more than usual from an early age. Ultraviolet lights cause free radicals to form on the skin. The free radicals formed cause the pigments to accumulate in the upper layer of the skin and cause brown-like spots.
One of the common causes of age spots is genetic predisposition. Individuals with intensive aging spots among family members are more likely to develop such spots in later ages.
Are Age Spots Dangerous?
Lentigos generally do not carry a risk of cancer, but in some cases, these spots can be covered with a thin flaky film and can turn into keratosis. Keratoses poses a risk of skin cancer. In such a case, a dermatologist should be consulted.
How Are Age Spots Treated?
Since the most important cause of age spots is harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, it is necessary to take protective measures against the sun. Using sunscreens with high protection factors, not being outdoors during peak hours, not being directly exposed to sunlight are the measures to be taken against spot formation.
What is Age Spot? There are several methods to remove age spots from the skin. It can be possible to reduce or eliminate spots by using physical and chemical methods used in spot treatment. The most common treatment methods used in this field are local chemical treatment against brown spots, peeling and laser treatment leading to depigmentation, cryotherapy, and microdermabrasion.
Medical procedures are not always used in the treatment of age spots. In some cases, using spot products that contain specific ingredients for age spots, melanocytes causing spotting are suppressed, thus providing a homogeneous appearance on the skin.