Age Spots & Liver Spots: The Differences

As many people grow older, brown age spots also referred to as liver spots often become more pronounced on their bodies, some of these liver spots might appear as large as freckles while some often come in less than 1 centimeter of size. They are dark pigmentation problems which develop on the skin as a result of excessive sun exposure. There are however some other factors that might be responsible for liverspots.

The names given to these forms of spots is one major difference between liver spots and age spots. Age spots got their name from the fact that they occur in people who are over 40 while liver spots start from the period when an individual is still young. Liver spots have also gained their name because of the colours of the spots, the colours range from brown, black, red and gray. Hence colour is another way through which one can identify if a skin infection is liver spots or age spots.

Both are not as pronounced in young people as in the older people and this is because at a tender age the melanin produced in the skin is not as effective like older people. Basically, as one ages, the more melanin produced becomes irregular.

The fairness of the skin often determines how much one suffers from age spots, however this is true to some extent because darker skinned people who are exposed to excessive sun rays may suffer more of these pigmented spots than a fair skinned individual who has not been exposed to too much sun light. It is believed that fair skinned people who are suffering from freckles will likely suffer from liver spot as well, this is not the case with age spots. The melanin in people suffering from freckles are less than those that are without freckles hence they are susceptible to liver spots.

People who are young and suffer from liver spots do have such a problem because of some genetic irregularities. Melanin is the skin’s natural protection against the damaging effect of the sun rays and light skinned people who produce less melanin will naturally have more problems dealing with pigmentation if they expose their skin to the sun, however young individuals suffering from these two skin disorders are likely undergoing some genetic deficiencies.

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