Age spots
introduction
Under age spots (also: Lentigines seniles, Lentigines solares) one understands brownish, harmless pigment changes on the skin, which increasingly occur with older age.
Appearance and location
Age spots are benign pigment spots, just like birthmarks or freckles. They are usually light brown, sharply defined, a few millimeters to centimeters in size and permanently visible in the same intensity (as opposed to freckles).
Age spots are particularly common in:
- in the face
- by the hand
- the forearms and
- in the cleavage
In principle, age spots can form in everyone. However, as the name suggests, they become more common with age. From the age of 40 they can be observed more often, from the age of 60 over 90% of people have age spots. The age and degree of manifestation depend, among other things, on the extent of exposure to UV radiation and the skin type (people with light skin develop slight age spots). Age spots always appear on the floor from long-term UV exposure of the skin.
Read more specific information under our topics:
- Age spots on the face
- Age spots on the hand
Causes of Age Spots
In addition to UV exposure, there are other risk factors for the development of age spots, including:
- a genetic predisposition
- certain drugs
- Nitrates / nitrites from food or
- the consumption of alcohol and / or cigarettes.
Read more on the topic: What is Oxidative Stress?
Formation of age spots
This paragraph requires medical knowledge and is therefore only for the very interested layperson!
Ultimately, the age spots represent a deposit of the so-called age pigment lipofuscin in the epidermis. Due to an accumulation of this pigment, it is no longer possible for the lysosomes to break it down in sufficient quantities, as is usual in healthy skin.
Lipofuscin is the end product from the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids that are found in the cell walls. UV radiation has the following effects on this process:
The UV light leads to the formation of so-called free radicals. These are molecules that are extremely reactive and thus promote oxidation. In addition, UV rays cause the amount of antioxidants in the skin to decrease. These antioxidants (for example zinc, selenium, coenzyme 10, vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids) form a protective system with the help of which the skin is normally able to protect itself from free radicals.
This shows that the skin is doubly at risk for the formation of age spots when exposed to intense sunlight, and it also explains why these areas of skin that are often exposed to the sun are located. However, why they are only small and localized has not yet been conclusively clarified.
Also read our topics:
- Skin changes in old age
- What is your skin type?
Symptoms of age spots
Apart from the typical skin changes, age spots show no further symptoms. Sometimes age spots develop into age warts (seborrheic wart, Verruca seborrhoica) further.
A malignant degeneration of the benign spots, however, has not been described. Nevertheless, it is sometimes useful to clarify whether it is not skin cancer, as certain forms of skin cancer, especially lentigo malignant melanoma, or a precancerous stage, actinic keratosis, can be very similar to age spots.
You may also be interested in this topic: How can you recognize skin cancer?
Diagnosis of age spots
The diagnosis of age spots is usually possible by the person affected due to their characteristic appearance.
Because of the risk of confusion with malignant changes, however, if there is any uncertainty, you should consult a doctor, preferably a dermatologist (Dermatologist) and have the skin changes examined.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor uses reflected light microscopy (Dermatoscopy) a. During this examination, a so-called dermatoscope (a device with a lens system consisting of a converging and a diverging lens and a halogen lamp) aimed at the affected areas, which enables a good assessment of the pigmentation. If the doctor cannot safely rule out skin cancer, he can take a tissue sample (biopsy) from the stain, which is examined under the microscope and thus enables tumor detection or exclusion.
More on this: Skin cancer screening
Therapy of age spots
Age spots do not actually have to be treated, as there is no medical need for this. Some sufferers feel so disturbed by the spots, especially if they are particularly large or in unfavorable places, such as in the middle of the face, that they want a therapy for cosmetic reasons.
The easiest way to make age spots invisible as quickly as possible is so-called camouflage.
With this technique, the pigment disorders are simply treated with a well-covering make-up. This method can easily be used by everyone on their own and sometimes it can even be combined with UV protection, because many make-up products now also contain sun protection.
However, it is sometimes not that easy to find make-up in an exactly matching color and this "treatment of age spots" has to be repeated over and over again in order to ensure a sufficient result.
A long-term option is treatment with bleaching agents for the skin. Bleaching creams contain various active ingredients that are said to have a lightening effect. The most frequently used substance is watercress extract, and hydroquinone, kojic acid or rucinol are also used.
The disadvantage of this form of therapy is that many people do not tolerate the creams well (itching or reddening can occur), that if applied improperly, healthy areas of the skin are also lightened and that success can take a few days to weeks.
Chemical peel is also an option for treating age spots. Certain acids (for example highly concentrated fruit acids or low concentrated trichloroacetic acid) is used to peel off the top layers of the skin that form again after peeling. However, such treatment must be carried out by a dermatologist. The disadvantage here, too, is that the skin is sometimes very irritated, which not everyone can put up with. Sometimes skin damage occurs that can resemble a large abrasion, which also increases the risk of infection.
Another option is cold treatment (Cryotherapy, cryopeeling). In this procedure, the surface of the skin is frozen with liquid nitrogen. This causes the cells of the epidermis to die off at this point, creating a blister and re-forming the skin underneath. New skin also forms with dermabrasion, in this case after the doctor has ground off the top layers of skin with a fine burr. Following these methods it can become too
- Redness
- blotchy skin
- or even scarring,
which is why they are rarely used.
The most effective method for removing age spots is laser therapy. With these modern laser processes, certain lasers (for example a ruby laser, alexandrite laser or erbium-YAG laser) aimed at the skin changes. They allow the pigments of the affected skin areas to be destroyed in a targeted manner, while the healthy surrounding tissue is spared. This can be achieved in that the laser light is absorbed much more strongly by the intensely pigmented age spots than by the rest of the skin.
In the tissue itself, the laser light is converted into heat, which causes an inflammatory reaction that activates the phagocytes, which absorb and remove the pigments. As a rule, four to six laser treatments are sufficient to permanently remove age spots.
Read more on this topic at:
- Therapy of age spots
- Bleaching skin - this is how you lighten your skin
Laser therapy of age spots
A effective method to the Remove age spots is the Laser therapywhich can be done easily these days. The laser generates a high energy light (red or infrared) that goes up to the top Skin layer penetrates and so the Pigment deposits destroyed.
Come to treat the pigment changes different lasers in action: the Ruby laser, of the Alexandrite laser and the Neodymium: YAG laser. The lasers work with quite short flashes of light, whereby the pigment of the upper skin layer can be attacked in a targeted manner and the pigment particles burst. These are then absorbed or transported away by the skin. The procedure is painless and resembles pinpricks. A local anesthesia, in the form of an anesthetic cream, is only necessary in the case of large-area pigment spots. The age spots will be scar-free removed and the irradiated areas heal after about 1-2 weeks.
Disadvantages are that some patients after treatment one Burn, similar to a sunburn feel or that the lasered skin swells. Accordingly, the irradiated area should be cooled after the treatment and a visit to the solarium as well as an intensive stay in the sun should be for you avoided next 10 weeks or use sunscreen accordingly. Skin irritated by ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation) can lead to the formation of pigment deposits in the skin again. It is recommended to remove the age spots in the colder seasons as the sun's UV radiation is weakest in autumn or winter.
Ordinary is a one-on-one session sufficient to remove the pigment spots, but the duration of the treatment depends on the size of the treatment area. So if follow-up treatments are necessary, these can be done in one Interval of 8 weeks be performed. Before each laser therapy, the age spots should be removed examined for their malignancy whether it is benign or malignant pigmentation, so that no malignant cells are transported through the body after the pigment spots have been broken up. This treatment is allowed only by experienced dermatologists be performed.
Cream against age spots
Numerous creams exist, all one Eliminate the age spots promise. Some of these creams work by covering up the age spots. Similar to makeup, they can in different parts of the body be applied. Disadvantages of this cream is the need for this always to usebecause they cannot improve the stains.
Most of the creams that can be used for therapy against age spots are called so-called Skin lightener or Whitening creams on the market. About the bleaching of the affected areas they can counteract the appearance of the age spots, as they the Pigmentation of the skin can reduce in the affected areas. The active ingredients contained in the creams are very different.
There are some products that contain active ingredients that are plant-based, as well as creams that are used as active ingredients Hydroquinone, Tretinoin and Hydrocortisone included as a combination. The cream is pharmacy only and not to be recommended without reservation. A long-term treatment with the bleaching ointment can damage the skin and is therefore not recommended. To about six weeks should be a Break after the treatment with the cream. The first successes can be seen after a few weeks, depending on the cream used. Correct application of the bleaching creams is important.They should not be applied over a large area, but rather only on the areas where age spots are visible.
Many people prefer to use the cream over laser treatment because, compared to the effective laser treatment of age spots, treatment with the cream significantly cheaper is.
Care should be taken with creams that promise a remedy for annoying stains, but do not contain any proven active ingredients against the stains. Only the UV protection of these creams can prevent the formation of new stains.
In many bleaching creams there is the active ingredient hydroquinone, which suspected of being carcinogenic to be. For this reason, bleaching creams should never be applied over a long period of time and over a large area.
There are also a number of foreign creams that may contain active ingredients that are not approved in Germany due to their side effects and harmfulness.
Because age spots are strongly associated with years of age UV exposure The use of creams with UV protection as a prophylaxis is useful for avoiding age spots. There are numerous creams that simultaneously care for the skin and protect against the appearance of spots relatively reliably. These creams cannot offer a hundred percent protection against the appearance of age spots, as the UV exposure does cause a important but not exclusive Part contributes to the development of age spots.
Follow-up treatment for age spots
After removing age spots, it is particularly important to ensure adequate sun protection; depending on the method used, this should be intensified for weeks to months or you should try to avoid exposure to direct sunlight at all.
prophylaxis
In order to prevent the development of age spots, the regular application of sun protection creams with a high sun protection factor and avoiding intensive, long-term sun exposure of the skin.
In addition, you should pay attention to a healthy, balanced diet that includes enough antioxidants. Switching off risk factors such as alcohol and nicotine consumption is also useful in order to prevent premature skin aging. However, all these measures cannot completely prevent their occurrence.
You can find useful information here: Skin aging
Age spots on the face
Since the skin around the face is one of the areas of the body that is most exposed to sunlight in the course of life, age spots are particularly common here. In contrast to most other parts of the body, the face is not protected by clothing (at most a little when wearing a hat).
In addition, age spots on the face are most often perceived as annoying and women, in particular, often want to get rid of them. In the case of age spots on the face, a doctor should also regularly examine the skin.
In addition to these harmless skin conditions, malignant spots or growths can also arise as a result of exposure to the sun, whereby a differentiation from the harmless age spots is often not possible for a layperson with certainty.
Learn more at: Age spots on the face
How do you remove age spots on your face?
Age spots on the face are often perceived as particularly annoying, as they usually catch the other person's eye directly and are perceived by those affected as blemishes. In order to get rid of age spots on the face, basically all possible methods of removing age spots can be considered.
The most common treatment with laser beams is also on the face. Here, special attention must be paid to protecting the eyes, which is usually made possible by wearing special glasses. It can also be removed by means of cold treatment or by scraping under local anesthesia.
Since the removal of age spots on the face is a cosmetic procedure, the costs are usually not covered by the statutory health insurance companies.
Home remedies for age spots on the face
Age spots that have developed on the face can no longer be removed even with home remedies.
However, there are some recommendations that one should follow to counteract an increase in skin conditions. The most important measure is skin protection. Excessive sun exposure should be avoided, especially at lunchtime. It is also important to use a sunscreen regularly. A hat or cap can also offer protection from the UV light that is responsible for age spots.
Common home remedies for age spots on the face are acids such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Applied to the face every evening, they are said to reduce the skin's appearance. As with most home remedies, however, there is no evidence that these measures are effective, and too much can do more harm than good.
Age spots on hand
Age spots tend to appear on areas of the skin that are often exposed to the sun. These include the hands, although the backs of the hands are often affected. Regardless of whether you are working or walking outdoors: The backs of your hands usually get a lot of sunlight.
In contrast to most other parts of the body, the skin is usually not protected by clothing. In addition, the backs of the hands are often spared even when using a sunscreen. Usually, both hands are affected when there are age spots on the hand. If the skin changes appear exclusively or mainly on one hand, there may be another cause of the spots.
In such a case, you should have it examined by your family doctor or dermatologist in order to rule out a possible disease that requires treatment or at least to discover it in good time.
also read: What helps against age spots on the hands?
When do you get age spots?
As the name suggests, age spots mainly occur in older people. From around the age of 60, most people will find age spots on their skin. In some, however, these occur from around the age of forty.
Despite this clear average relationship between the skin symptoms and age, age spots appear in some people even at a young age, without this having any disease value. If many age spots appear in early years, a further increase in these skin changes can be expected with increasing age.
However, some people have no or very few age spots on their bodies, even when they are over 70. In addition to the sun exposure over the course of life, hereditary influences such as skin type are responsible for these sometimes considerable differences in age, from which age spots appear.
Further topics from this area
Age spots on the hand
Age spots are benign pigment changes in the skin. They occur more frequently at an advanced age and are particularly evident on the hands. The sun exposure plays an important role in the occurrence. Here you get to the topic: Age spots on the hand
Age spots on the face
Age spots are a natural change in the skin that shows up over the course of life. The pigment deposits tend to appear on the face, as the face is often exposed to UV radiation. Here you get to the topic: Age spots on the face.
Remove age spots
Age spots are a natural appearance of the skin that mainly show up at an advanced age. Many people find these pigment deposits annoying and look for ways to remove them. Here you get to the topic: Remove age spots
