Age spot
| Age spot | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Liver spot, solar lentigo, lentigo senilis |
 | |
| Age spots on the left hand of a 63-year-old light-skinned Caucasian man | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
| Causes | Prolonged exposure to UV radiation |
| Prevention | Sun screen |
Age spots (also known as liver spot, solar lentigo,[1] "lentigo senilis",[1]: 686 "old age spot",[2] "senile freckle")[2] are blemishes on the skin associated with aging[3] and caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.[4] They range in color from light brown[5] to red or black and are located in areas most often exposed to the sun, particularly the hands, face, shoulders, arms and forehead, and the scalp if bald.
The spots were once called liver spots as they were incorrectly believed to be caused by liver problems, but they are physiologically unrelated to the liver, save for a similar color.[6] They form after years of sun exposure.[7]
In the overwhelming majority of cases, age spots pose no threat and require no treatment, though they occasionally have been known to obscure the detection of skin cancer. However, despite being a benign condition, age spots are sometimes considered unsightly and some people choose to have them removed. This can be done by electrosurgery, laser treatment, cryotherapy, or the use of depigmentation agents, such as hydroquinone,[8] tretinoin,[8] topical cysteamine,[9] azelaic acid,[10] or alpha hydroxy acids.[11]
Causes
Differently from the melanotic nevi and the verrucous nevi on the skin, age spots change in color and in shape with time. Wang-Michelitsch and Michelitsch propose a hypothesis inspired by their misrepair-accumulation aging theory[12] for the development of age spots.[13] They propose that aged basal cells contain lipofuscin bodies that cannot be removed and might promote the aging of neighboring cells, generating a feedback loop that causes more and more neighbor cells to become aged and contain lipofuscins.[13] Such cells might then aggregate into a spot with an irregular shape.[13]
Another group[14] has reported that "age spots" taken from human skin biopsies of patients facial senile lentigo of Fitzpatrick skin type III or IV aged 55–62 are enriched with senescent fibroblasts compared to surrounding skin. The dark coloration appeared to be due to higher melanin levels and activity of tyrosinase in the senescent fibroblasts than in the controls, potentially related to lower SDF1 expression.[14] Patients were then administered six weekly treatments of microneedle fractional radiofrequency aimed at eliminating dermal senescent fibroblasts; this led to a marked decrease in epidermal pigmentation compared to baseline, accompanied by a decrease in the synthesis of collagen and the normalization of suppressed SDF1 expression.[14]
Prevention
Broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation protect against age spots.[7] Wearing a hat can prevent sun spots from forming on the face.[7]
Treatment
Treatment for age spots is almost never done for health-related reasons, though it is sometimes done for cosmetic ones. Skin-bleaching products that inhibit pigmentation or cosmetic creams containing the ingredients alpha hydroxy acids or retinoids are known to be effective. Age spots can also be frozen off with liquid nitrogen; that is, via cryosurgery.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b James WD, Berger TG, et al. (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0.
- ^ a b Rapini RP, Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. pp. 1716–17. ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.
- ^ "Age spots (liver spots) - Diagnosis and treatment". Mayo Clinic. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation". www.cancer.org. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "5 skin spots you shouldn't worry about". Harvard Health. 5 August 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ a b Carlson KJ, Eisenstat SA, Ziporyn TD (2004). The new Harvard guide to women's health. Harvard University Press. p. 337.
- ^ a b c "Skin Care and Aging". National Institute on Aging. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ^ a b "Age spots (liver spots) Treatments and drugs". Mayo Clinic. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ Mansouri P, Farshi S, Hashemi Z, Kasraee B (1 July 2015). "Evaluation of the efficacy of cysteamine 5% cream in the treatment of epidermal melasma: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial". The British Journal of Dermatology. 173 (1): 209–17. doi:10.1111/bjd.13424. ISSN 1365-2133. PMID 25251767. S2CID 21618233.
- ^ Rodríguez Prieto MA, Manchado Lopez P, Ruiz Gonzalez I, Suarez D (1 May 1993). "Treatment of lentigo maligna with azelaic acid". International Journal of Dermatology. 32 (5): 363–64. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4362.1993.tb01475.x. ISSN 0011-9059. PMID 8505164. S2CID 29546141.
- ^ "Overview about liver spots/age spots". Beauty Natural Skin. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ Wang J, Michelitsch T, Wunderlin A, Mahadeva R (30 March 2009). "Aging as a consequence of misrepair -- A novel theory of aging". Nature Precedings. Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 13. arXiv:1503.07163. Bibcode:2015arXiv150307163W. doi:10.1038/npre.2009.2988.1. ISSN 1756-0357.
- ^ a b c Wang-Michelitsch J, Michelitsch T (2015). "Development of age spots as a result of accumulation of aged cells in aged skin". arXiv:1505.07012 [q-bio.TO].
- ^ a b c Yoon JE, Kim Y, Kwon S, Kim M, Kim YH, Kim JH, et al. (9 September 2018). "Senescent fibroblasts drive ageing pigmentation: A potential therapeutic target for senile lentigo". Theranostics. 8 (17): 4620–4632. doi:10.7150/thno.26975. PMC 6160768. PMID 30279727. Archived from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
External links
Media related to Solar lentigo at Wikimedia Commons