Age spots are well-named because they don’t appear until you’re older, after many years of exposure to sunlight. These unattractive tan-brown spots are primarily a cosmetic concern that you can eliminate at Northstar Dermatology. The board-certified dermatologists offer several effective treatments to lighten or eliminate your existing sun spots. They also create a plan to help you prevent future sun damage. To learn more about age spot treatments, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.
Age spots, also called liver spots or solar lentigines, are brown and tan spots that develop on your skin over years of exposure to UV light, whether from the sun or a tanning bed. These spots often appear on your face and hands, but they can develop anywhere on your body.
Your skin naturally contains a pigment called melanin that gives your skin its color. When you’re exposed to UV light, skin produces extra melanin, which causes tanning. Age spots develop when a clump of melanin cells darken more quickly than the rest of your skin.
Age spots don’t cause skin cancer and they don’t increase your risk. However, you could have a brown spot that’s something other than an age spot. If it changes in color or shape, gets larger, or starts bleeding, it’s time to have it evaluated at Northstar Dermatology. These changes are signs of skin cancer.
Protecting your skin from sunlight won’t improve any existing age spots. However, it will prevent new spots from developing.
Since age spots aren’t cancerous, they’re a cosmetic problem rather than a medical condition requiring treatment. But if you want to eliminate age spots to improve your appearance, Northstar Dermatology offers several treatment options:
Topical Medications
Daily application of a prescription whitening cream will gradually reduce the appearance of age spots.
Laser Treatment
Specialized lasers use heat that’s only absorbed by the brown pigment. As a result, Northstar Dermatology can treat spots without harming the surrounding skin. As the pigments absorb the laser’s heat, they break down. Your body then clears the waste away, permanently removing your age spots.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion uses a rotating brush to gently sand away the outer layer of your skin. As new skin grows in, the age spot gradually diminishes.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels also remove the outer layers of your skin. Northstar Dermatology customizes your chemical peel to remove one layer or multiples layers of skin to eliminate age spots.
If you want to treat your age spots, call Northstar Dermatology or schedule an appointment online today.
Age spots don’t make their debut until the later stages of life, usually due to prolonged sun exposure. These tan-brown patches might be a cosmetic issue but can be tackled effectively at Northstar Dermatology. Our board-certified dermatology specialists have a repertoire of treatments to fade or even remove these solar marks. Beyond treatment, they provide guidelines to protect against future sun damage. For detailed insight into age spot interventions, reach out by phone or book a consultation online.
Commonly known as liver spots or solar lentigines, age spots are brownish or tan discolorations that manifest after sustained exposure to UV rays – be it natural sunlight or artificial from tanning beds. They are most conspicuous on the face and hands but can materialize anywhere.
Melanin, a pigment naturally present in our skin, determines its shade. With UV exposure, the skin tends to ramp up melanin production leading to tanning. Age spots arise when clusters of melanin darken more rapidly than the surrounding areas.
While age spots are benign and don’t escalate cancer risk, it’s crucial to differentiate them from other skin concerns. Should a spot change in hue, size, or start to bleed, it merits a professional assessment at Northstar Dermatology. Such alterations could be indicative of skin malignancies.
Guarding your skin against sun rays might not alter existing age spots, but it’s a surefire way to prevent new ones.
Even though age spots are non-cancerous and essentially a cosmetic challenge, for those keen on enhancing their aesthetic appeal, Northstar Dermatology proposes multiple therapeutic avenues:
Topical Solutions
Regular use of doctor-prescribed lightening creams can progressively diminish age spot visibility.
Laser Procedures
Innovative lasers emit heat that’s selectively taken up by the brown pigment, enabling Northstar Dermatology to target these spots without affecting the nearby skin. These pigments, once subjected to the laser’s energy, disintegrate, allowing the body to naturally dispose of them, leading to permanent age spot clearance.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion employs a spinning brush to delicately abrade the skin’s topmost layer. With the emergence of new skin, the age spot’s visibility lessens.
Chemical Exfoliations
Chemical peels aim at shedding the skin’s external layers. At Northstar Dermatology, the intensity of the chemical peel is adjusted to target single or multiple layers, ensuring age spot reduction.
Considering age spot therapy? Reach out to Northstar Dermatology either via call or by scheduling an online visit.
Often appearing in the later years of life due to prolonged sun exposure, age spots, sometimes unsightly in their tan-brown hue, can be professionally addressed at Northstar Dermatology. Their certified skin specialists propose a range of treatments to either lessen or completely remove these sun-induced marks. Furthermore, they devise strategies to assist in shielding against potential sun damages. To explore treatments for age spots, reach out to their office or book a consultation online.
Also known as solar lentigines or liver spots, age spots manifest as brownish or tanned patches on the skin. These patches are the consequence of enduring UV exposure, either from natural sunlight or tanning devices. Common sites for their appearance include the face and hands, but they can emerge on any part of the body.
Melanin, the natural pigment responsible for skin’s coloration, increases in production upon UV exposure, leading to the tanning effect. The uneven clustering of melanin cells, which darken more rapidly than adjacent skin, results in the formation of age spots.
Though age spots aren’t precursors to skin cancer and don’t amplify cancer risk, it’s imperative to distinguish them from other potentially harmful brown spots. Observing changes in the spot’s size, shape, color, or any bleeding warrants an immediate evaluation at Northstar Dermatology. Such alterations could indicate skin cancer.
While sun protection might not reverse existing age spots, it’s pivotal in forestalling the appearance of new ones.
As age spots are primarily cosmetic concerns without medical implications, treatment is optional and based on aesthetic preferences. Should you opt for cosmetic enhancement, Northstar Dermatology presents multiple therapeutic avenues:
Topical Medications
Regular use of prescribed brightening creams can progressively fade age spots.
Laser Procedures
State-of-the-art lasers target only the brownish pigment, ensuring adjacent skin remains unaffected. As these pigments absorb laser energy, they disintegrate, with the body subsequently eliminating the remnants, ensuring permanent age spot removal.
Dermabrasion
This procedure involves a rotating instrument that mildly exfoliates the skin’s topmost layer. As the skin regenerates, age spots diminish.
Chemical Peels
With the application of specialized chemicals, the skin’s surface layers are shed. Northstar Dermatology tailors chemical peels to either target a single skin layer or delve deeper, effectively erasing age spots.
For professional care in addressing age spots, connect with Northstar Dermatology or book a slot online.
