Age spots on face

Age spots occur mainly on the face, décolleté, and hands as areas most exposed to UV radiation, which is the main cause for them.

Onset is most common after age 50, as morphological mutations of the epidermis take place, the skin thins, and the capacity for renewal of the skin cells decreases (keratinocytes). This way, the spots are more obvious and persistent. They are formed because some melanocytes greatly increase the production of melanin, which is transferred to a group of surrounding keratinocytes (called melanophores), thus giving rise to areas of hyperpigmentation.

Age spots - also called solar freckles - are grey, brown, or black flat spots. They vary in size and usually appear on the face, upper chest, shoulders, arms and hands - the areas most exposed to the sun. 

Age spots are harmless, but they can be unattractive and make the skin look older. In the past, the only remedy was to cover them with make up. Nowadays there are therapies that help reverse the signs of photoaging at the physiological level. One approach is physical removal - laser surgery, cryosurgery (freezing), microdermabrasion or chemical peels. Physical removal can be very effective, but it can be expensive and it has side effects such as pain and redness of the skin. 

Many people prefer to use a gentler approach such as a whitening cream with Pidobenzone for topical use, which helps age spots to fade over time.

02.10.2013