How Does an Age Spot Form?

Age spots are one of the main concerns of people in their 40s to their 80s. The brown spots that just seem to appear from nowhere can be strange looking, and have the potential to be harmful to the body. Most age spots are caused by overexposure to the sun. While there are few options for removing age spots other than through laser treatments, it is important for the younger generations to realize where they come from so that they can avoid getting the same kind of skin issues when they grow older. It is also a good idea for older people to learn about how age spots form as well, so that they can avoid adding even more age spots to their skin as they grow older. This is not only unattractive but can also be dangerous to your health.

Factors contributing to age spots

Age spots or lentigines are largely caused by overexposure to the sun. Usually light-skinned people get age spots more than darker skinned people, due to the fact that their skin can't handle the sun's rays as well. Over time, the spots from on the skin, and darken over the years.

Who age spots affect most

Age spots affect two groups of people the most: light-skinned people and older people. The reason for this is because lighter skinned people do not have the melanin pigment necessary to take care of the sun's rays. Older people are more affected as well, because their melanin pigment decreases over time.

How the spots form

When the sun hits the skin, its rays damage the cells in the epidermis called melanocytes. When damaged, even 10 or 20 melancoytes produce melanin, which produces the discoloring that we all know about. The reason this happens is because the skin is trying to protect itself from future sun damage by changing the composition of the skin. There are two main forms of this kind of sun damage. The first is the more common freckling. The second are solar lentigos, which are the age spots. Freckles are more likely to affect light-skinned people, while age spots are more likely to affect older people.

Age spots and cancer

It's well known that too much exposure to the sun can cause cancer. Even tanning in a tanning bed can cause the same damage as the sun's rays. When an age or sun spot is discovered on the skin, it is important to have it checked by a doctor. If skin cancer is detected in the early stages, it is unlikely to cause serious damage to the body. However, if left for long periods of time, it can be harmful.

Removing an age spot

The best way to remove age spots and sun spots is through laser treatments. It is also possible to freeze off the larger spots that occur around middle age, or larger moles. For age spots caused by sun damage, a laser treatment is the most effective method of removal.