Old Age Spots
Age spots are known by several names. There are times they are called liver spots. Some other sets of people do refer to them as senile freckles. At times they are also called old age spots or solar lentigo. The link with “solar” is due to the fact that they are caused by consistent exposure to sunlight. They are called old age spots since they are commonly associated with old age. Those who spent their younger ages under the sun without SPF are the ones that tend to suffer with the age spots. If you love to sunbathe, you stand a very good chance of having this skin blemish as you grow older.
Old age spots can be found on any part of the body. If that part is consistently exposed to sunlight, then it can end up developing age spots. The areas on which it is commonly found are the scalp, the hands, the arms and the face. They also come in various colors. The color can be shades of brown, black or red. There are times that it also appears as light brown. The color possessed by age spots is the reason why they are associated with the liver and called liver spots.
Sunlight is the main culprit as far as this skin problem called age spots are concerned. At a younger age, it becomes very easy for the skin to overcome the ultraviolet rays from the sun. But as the individual ages, it becomes more challenging for the skin to cope with the ultraviolet ray from the sun. This failure to oppose the UV ray leads to the build up of pigment and the formation of old age spots on the skin of the individual. Age spots may not be found on an individual until the person is as old as about 40 or above.
Generally, age spots do not have any health implications whatsoever. It only tends to make your skin look older than its years. Several research projects have however been conducted into the health implication of age spots and it had been discovered that they are commonly found on those with cancer of the skin. This is due to the fact that both are caused by overexposure to the sun. Age spots themselves are not cancerous, but you should always get any change to your skin checked by a dermatologist.
You should not wait till the age spots grow or become darker. You should look for a way to get age spots removed when they appear.
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