Age Spot or Liver Spot
Liver spot or age spot (solar lentigo)
is a dark discoloration of the skin caused by cumulative lifetime
exposure to sunlight.
Despite of its name, liver spot has nothing to do with the liver.
Symptoms of Liver Spot
The symptoms of liver spot are:
- Brown spots
- Even in color
- Flat in profile
- Usually a fraction of an inch to half an inch in diameter
These spots most often occur on the face, arm, and legs and in
other parts of the body that are exposed to the sun.
Who Gets It?
Most people get liver spots after middle age. The number and
size of these spots increase as they age.
Prevention of Liver Spot
Liver spots can be prevented by:
- Avoiding intense sun exposure and sunburns
- Avoiding suntanning
- Using lotion with high SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or
higher
- Wearing hats and protective clothings
Treatments for Liver Spots?
Liver spots are harmless and painless - however, for those who
consider them cosmetically unappealing, the following are treatments
for liver spots:
- Over-the-counter whitening or fade creams containing 2% hydroquinone
- Prescription-strength fade creams containing 4% hydroquinone
- Cosmetics to cover and hide the spots
- Freezing the spots with liquid nitrogen
- Chemical peel
- Laser treatment
Note that these spots may recur even with treatments.
