Dorothy FarrarAge spots
Age spots , while harmless to health, pose an aesthetic problem for many people. Age spots are a telltale sign – especially when you’ve had cosmetic surgery to keep your face and body young.
What are age spots?
Age spots are age-related, but above all sun-related, pigment changes in the skin areas that were most frequently exposed to sunlight. In Latin, age spots are called lentigines seniles or solares. The individual age spots are also called macula. In and of themselves, age spots are benign. However, some skin cancers, such as lentigo malignant melanoma, look similar to age spots. Therefore, a medical clarification is desirable in the case of conspicuous age spots.
Many people are bothered by age spots and are looking for preparations that make unsightly age spots disappear. Various cosmetic preparations and treatments promise a remedy against age spots. The more you have exposed your skin to the sun or a solarium, the more likely it is that age spots will appear in exposed areas.
Causes
The skin pigment lipofuscin is responsible for the brown skin discoloration and age spots on aging skin. Ultraviolet light tends to trigger age spots, but not only in people over the age of sixty.
People who go to the solarium frequently have faster skin aging. You can have age spots from a relatively young age. With age, the skin is no longer able to prevent the oxidation of skin pigments. The proliferation of melanocytes can happen because the skin has been exposed to sunlight too often and for too long without protection or with insufficient protection over a lifetime.
On the other hand, freckles are naturally present. They only become more visible through exposure to the sun. The typical age spots, however, remain the same dark color in winter as in summer. They are the result of chronic sun damage that could have been reduced by adequate sun protection and avoidance.
People who are exposed to increased sun exposure are also at risk of developing skin cancer and other chronic photodamage. Age spots can also turn into unsightly age warts.
Diseases
When to the doctor?
When age spots form, it is usually not necessary to see a doctor. There is no health-endangering condition. With advancing age, corresponding skin changes appear in everyone that do not need to be checked.
The more people are exposed to UV light in their lives, the more likely it is that age spots will appear. There is therefore no reason to worry if the first pigment spots appear at a younger age. There is also no need to see a doctor if age spots are spreading over the entire body. This is considered a normal growth process for the spots.
Since there is a risk of highly aggressive skin cancer , irregularities or mutations in the existing age spots should always be presented to a doctor. If individual spots change in size or colour, you should see a doctor as soon as possible for a check-up. If there is an unpleasant sensation of pain when pressure is applied to a spot, a doctor should also be consulted. Other diseases are to be clarified and precautionary measures are being taken.
If the age spots form in a non-visible area on the body, they must be checked by people from the social environment. Alternatively, the check must be carried out by a doctor. In principle, preventive treatment and skin checks by a doctor are necessary at regular intervals.
Diagnosis and course
Age spots do not in themselves require a medical diagnosis, unless a spot is noticeable due to a sudden change or sudden appearance. Going to the dermatologist is only indicated for conspicuous and critical age spots. In the case of conspicuous age spots, the doctor can carry out a so-called dermatoscopy with the help of a halogen lamp and a strong magnifying glass, which gives more precise information about the type and surface of the spot.
If skin cancer is suspected, a biopsy is done to have a tissue sample examined for tumor markers. In the case of age spots that are particularly extensive, dark or located in conspicuous places, it may be advisable to go to the doctor to have the age spots removed or bleached.
Complications
Age spots usually develop in the course of the aging process of humans through the skin change processes that take place. In most cases, they are not associated with medical problems or diseases. Therefore, they are considered to be of little concern. As a symptom, however, age spots can be an indication of developing skin cancer. They therefore serve as an identifying feature in the screening of a skin cancer examination.
Therefore, they are to be observed and should be checked by a doctor at regular intervals. Age spots primarily have a cosmetic effect on those affected. They give an indication of the aging process and are therefore perceived as unpleasant by many people. Since they have a progressive course, the feeling of discomfort can increase. This can cause mental stress and, in severe cases, emotional crises. Nevertheless, it is rather unlikely that the age spots are the cause of a mental illness.
Age spots can be concealed with clothing to minimize discomfort. In addition, they can be covered with creams and make-up. Here, attention must be paid to the compatibility of the cosmetic products. Hypersensitivity to existing ingredients can trigger allergic reactions in the form of reddening of the skin or itching. Age spots can be treated with a laser. In the healing process, skin redness or an increased sensation of pain then occur temporarily.
Treatment and therapy
From a medical point of view, therapy for age spots is not necessary. Nevertheless, age spots are often found to be so annoying – especially on the face – that there are now various therapeutic approaches against age spots.
Medical laser therapy is considered the most effective method against age spots, followed by treatments with fruit acid, dermatological bleaching creams, vitamin A acid and pharmaceutical preparations containing rucinol. So removing is opposed to bleaching or planing. Age spots can be removed with the laser beam. In some cases, however, light spots remain visible.
In other cases, renewed exposure to the sun can darken the treated age spots. Therapy with bleaching creams is intended to curb pigment formation or make age spots appear lighter. Hydroquinone, watercress extracts, rucinol and kojic acid are used.
The treatment of age spots is lengthy, but the result is not always satisfactory. The acid also irritates the skin. If accidentally applied to healthy skin, it will also fade. Age spots can also be treated with acidic chemical peels based on low-dose fruit acids in skin creams. The effects are mostly unsatisfactory.
Direct treatment with concentrated fruit acids or trichloroacetic acid by a dermatologist is more effective. However, the result is accompanied by skin irritation and high sensitivity to light. Cold treatments and mechanical skin scraping are also used to treat age spots. Experts advise against such treatments against age spots because the results are usually not good enough.
Outlook and prognosis
Age spots actually have little to do with age, but more to do with the unhindered exposure of the skin to UV rays from the sun. As a rule, they are only a cosmetic problem – in this form, however, they are taken very seriously by those affected. After all, one suspected complication caused by age spots can now almost be ruled out: skin cancer. It is a fact that skin cancer can be caused by sun exposure – however, age spots in themselves do not mean an increased risk on the respective skin areas.
Complications usually arise when those affected do something about their age spots. There are a number of lightening creams, especially abroad, but they do more harm than good. Even treatments that are actually effective against age spots, such as laser therapy or dermabrasion, are not entirely harmless. Although the skin is freed from age spots, it is also attacked and can react sensitively.
Other possible complications are that although the age spots disappear as a result of the treatment, the skin in the affected areas does not look like the surrounding skin again. It can happen that patches of it appear much lighter than the surrounding skin due to the complete dissolution of pigments. This also creates a blotchy complexion with which those affected cannot be satisfied.
Prevention
The best protection against later age spots is adequate sun protection. After removing age spots, sun protection must be taken even more seriously. You should never go out in the sun without frequently applying sun protection lotion with a high sun protection factor. You tan much more gently in the shade. Peaked hats protect the face and prevent age spots later on. The best way to protect your upper body and arms from sunburn and age spots is to wear a T-shirt. In the midday one should rest in the shade because of the intensity of the UV rays. Solariums should be avoided to avoid age spots, since UV rays also cause tanning here.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.