Age spots are one of the most common skin changes that affect people as they age. The brownish spots, which are sometimes called sunspots, liver spots, or solar lentigines, look like large freckles. They most commonly appear in places that are exposed to sunlight, such as the face, hands, shoulders, and arms.
While age spots are both harmless and painless, they can be unsightly. There are treatments to fade age spots and restore the look of the skin.1
What Are Age Spots?
Age spots or liver spots are not actually caused by age, and they don’t have anything to do with the liver. Those names are used because the spots are most common in people over 50, and the brownish color resembles the color of a liver. The term sunspots is more accurate since UV exposure can be a factor in developing age spots.
Age spots are caused by an accumulation of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Exposure to UV light increases melanin production, such as when skin gets tanned from the sun. Over time, repeated exposure to UV light can create dark spots that don’t fade like a suntan.
Other factors can increase the risk of getting age spots, including:
- Having a fair or light complexion
- Getting severe sunburns
- Spending a lot of time under the sun
- Using tanning beds
Age spots are not cancerous, and they do not lead to skin cancer. However, they can look similar to skin cancer. If you are unsure whether a dark spot on your skin is an age spot, talk to your doctor. They can examine the spot and determine whether it’s a danger to your health or not.2
How to Remove Age Spots
There are a variety of treatments for age spots. There is no effective way to remove age spots naturally, but professional treatments can fade them significantly. Choosing a treatment depends on personal preference.3
Topical treatments
There are many over-the-counter products that may reduce the appearance of dark spots. They may offer some improvement for light age spots. If over-the-counter products aren’t effective, a dermatologist can prescribe clinical-strength hydroquinone or tretinoin creams.4
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy or cryosurgery is a procedure that freezes age spots with a liquid nitrogen solution. This causes them to peel away as the underlying skin heals. Cryotherapy is best for age spots on the hands or arms.5
Laser treatments
Laser treatments or intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments are effective at fading age spots. Some laser treatments target the melanin cells under the skin. These non-invasive treatments involve a dermatologist passing a wand that emits intense light over the treatment area. The light heats the melanin, which rises to the surface and flakes away in the following weeks. Ablative laser treatments are more invasive and remove the top layer of skin. Healing can take several weeks.6
Chemical peels
Chemical peels work by applying a solution to remove the top layers of skin. The new skin that appears after healing has fewer spots and looks fresher. There are different strengths of chemical peel. Mild peels have short recovery times but are less effective at fading age spots. Stronger peels remove more layers of skin and may require significant healing time.7
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is a type of treatment that exfoliates the outer layers of skin. The process is sometimes called surgical sanding. A dermatologist uses a wand to ablate the skin with abrasive particles to remove the top layers of skin. Healing can take several weeks.8
Talk to a dermatologist about which age spot removal treatment is best for you.
SOURCES:
- Cleveland Clinic: “Liver Spots.”
- Mayo Clinic: “Age Spots: Symptoms and Causes.“
- The Ohio State University: “Can you get rid of age spots?”
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: “Topical Treatments for Age Spots.”
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: “Cryosurgery for Age Spots.”
- Mayo Clinic: “Age Spots: Diagnosis and Treatment.“
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: “Chemical Peels for Age Spots.”
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: “Dermabrasion for Age Spots.“
