When Do Age Spots Start?
An age spot is a dark brown blemish that is found on the skin and is mainly associated with aging & sun damage. Ultraviolet rays from the sun are the cause of the age spots. However, they are more common with elderly people hence the name age spots or old age spots but they can also be called liver spots or sun spots.
The skin has a layer of melanin. This is the dark pigment that gives colour to the skin. It is also a protective pigment of the skin. When the skin is overexposed to the sun, more melanin is produced by the body to protect it from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
As one grows older, the small bits of melanin naturally fuse together and form dark patches that are known as age spots or pigmentation. The symptoms are worsened by tanning beds and genetics in some cases but the main culprit when it comes to age spots is the ultraviolet rays from the sun.
When do age spots start? In order to answer this question effectively, we need to consider a number of factors. Age spots are caused by exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation hence it will be of use to first ask if the person has been exposed to the sun for long continuous periods.
Depending on the answer, then the question “when do age spots start?” can be answered more correctly since exposure to the sun plays a big role in the development of age spots.
The question can be answered after also considering the heredity of the concerned person. Genetics affect to some extent the time that age spots will start appearing. That is why for some people, the age spots will appear much faster than their peers.
The skin’s complexion should also be considered. Those with a light skin have less melanin, which protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation from the sun, hence will develop age spots relatively faster than their peers who have a darker skin complexion.
The race of the person concerned should also be looked at. It has been found out that age spots are more common with Caucasian and white people than those with dark skin pigment hence before looking at the question “when do age spots start?” the appearance of the skin should be looked at since it affects to a very great extent the time when the spots appear.
Before looking at the question “when do age spots start?” it is good to look at the family lineage. There is a possibility that the age at which a close family member like a brother or sister got the age spots is close to the age that the concerned person will get them.
Read More Articles on: Age Spots
Comments on this entry are closed.