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Another name for liver spots is known as solar lentiginosis or age spots. Age spots are a typical dermatological situation that generally occurs mainly in white people. Age spots are typical skin conditions.
Liver spots occur on the skin’s surface. The common reasons behind the development of liver spots include rapidly rotating brush on the skin, intense pulsed light exposure, and various laser treatments.
1. What is Solar Lentiginosis or Liver Spots
Solar lentiginosis commonly called liver spots if not treated can generate skin cancer. Age spots occur at the age of 40 mostly in white people. In this condition, spots of pale brown and dark brown occur on the surface of the skin.
Age spots appear flat in shape, generally oval areas of the skin that particularly increased pigmentation. In simple words, these raised oval darkened skin areas are deferential from the surrounding skin.
Skin biopsy is done to find out the skin cancer cases. The skin colour can be protected by wearing protective clothing, sun protection products, and using broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Solar lentiginosis or Age spots are mainly present on the skin parts which are mostly exposed to the sun. Sun exposure includes ultraviolet light and sun rays which are very much harmful to the skin. Smoother skin forms which constantly come with intense sun exposure are likely to develop mild skin blemishes.
Frequent or severe sunburns also leave mild skin blemishes. Skin lightening cream can be useful to some extent in treating age spots.
Intense pulsed light therapies and chemical peel are some other ways of treating age spots. lighten darkened skin areas can show temporary redness due to skin reactions and skin irritation.
1.1. What Causes Liver Spots?
Wearing tightly woven clothing, ultraviolet UV light, skin cancer, sun exposure, light related diseases are some of the common causes of age spots.
The skin color is due to the melanin-producing cells, which give color to our skin and ultraviolet UV rays increase the production of melanin in our body which ultimately causes skin darkening or in simple words tanning.
If the sun protection factor is not used and exposure to ultraviolet protection factor regularly causes the accumulation of melanin in the skin cells which leads to age spots.
Another reason behind the development of age spots is aging. Aging also speeds up the production of melanin which further develops the age spots.
Genetic makeup also plays a major role in the development of age spots, a group of people is more susceptible than others to developing age spots due to their genetic makeup and family history.
1.2. Similar Conditions like Liver Spots?
Age spots are common in white people due to their like color of a permanent skin. Other skin disorders which look almost similar to age spots include
- Moles
- Skin cancer called melanoma
- Noncancerous skin cells are known as Keratosis
- Another skin cancer is known as Lentigo maligna
Skin biopsy is the first and foremost way for diagnosing age spots. Treat age spots otherwise the condition will become severe. The increased pigmentation has these characteristics.
- Very dark pigmentation
- Develop age spots frequently
- Skin lightening in several parts
- irregular border
- two or three combinations of colors
- Redness
- itching
- bleeding
If you are facing any of these symptoms then it is time to consult with your doctor.
1.3. Diagnosis of Liver Spots
Clinical dermatology will start the diagnosis with the physical and visual examination of the liver spot. The overview of age spots will give the dermatologist a rough idea about your condition. If then the doctor feels that there are age spots, then the doctor will go for a skin biopsy for confirmation.
Skin biopsy means the doctor will take out a small sample of your skin from the skin that appears lighter or darker in color. This sample will then send to the laboratory for further testing and examination.
1.4. Treatment for Age Spots
Treatment available for liver sports includes wearing protective clothing, many nonprescription fade creams are available in the market for lightening age spots, and applying prescription bleaching creams is also helpful in age spot treatments.
Permanent skin changes, flat light brown skin spots, and distinguishing age spots can be treated by age spot therapies and by providing sun protection. Dermatologists will prescribe you certain bleaching creams to remove the tanning and lighten the skin. The bleaching cream is combined with the retinoid creams.
Another way that is used in treating age spots is cryotherapy which includes the use of liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen freezes the skin cells, this freezing destroys the accumulated melanin in the cells which is responsible for scaring. This therapy is a little bit dangerous.
1.4.1. Laser treatment options
Using a laser will directly destroy the cells that are producing the melanin in an extra amount. Laser treatment requires more than 2 to 3 appointments with the dermatologist, and it will work gradually. The liver spots will get lighter after every laser treatment.
1.4.2. Chemical peels
In this method, the doctor will prescribe you an acid cream. This cream will destroy the upper skin cells, which are causing the overproduction of melanin and making it darker in color. This method also needs time and two to three rounds of cream treatment.
1.5. Preventions for Age Spots?
Age spots can be prevented by reducing the time of direct sunlight exposure, which contains harmful rays for the skin. Another way of preventing age spots is to apply sun cream when you go outside in the sun.
2. Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q 1. What is the main cause of liver spots?
- Ans: The main reason for liver spots is the overactivation of pigment cells caused by melanin.
Q 2. How to prevent liver spots from spreading?
- Ans: You can prevent the age spots from spreading by derm abbreviation, laser and intense pulsed light and chemical peel.
Q 3. Are liver spots cancerous in nature?
- Ans: No- the age spots are not cancerous in nature every time, these are mainly small spots on the skin, which sometimes occur due to more sun exposure.
Q 4. What are the home remedies for Liver spots?
- Ans: You can use milk, buttermilk, or yogurt on your skin. They can exfoliate and help in lighting the skin.
Final Note
Solar lentiginosis or liver spots is among one the major condition related to the skin, this mainly occurs with time and aging. Various medications and treatments are available for treating age spots, you can take the medicines after consulting with your dermatologist.
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
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