Do not be mistaken, these have nothing to do with liver disease or health conditions. “Liver spots” is just another term for age spots, sun spots, or the more clinical term “Solar Lentigo”. Those light brown flat marks you see on areas of your skin are a result of prolonged exposure to the sun and can appear on parts of the body such as the hands, arms, and face.
Liver spots are considered normal signs of aging although they can be found on younger people as well.
Why Do People Grow Liver Spots?
Risk factors for liver spots include overexposure to ultraviolet rays, whether directly from the sun or from a tanning salon. Each time your skin is hit by damaging UV rays, the skin reacts to protect itself and increases melanin production, resulting to the formation of patches, which we now know as age spots.
Are They Life-Threatening?
Liver spots are actually harmless and are by no means life-threatening. However, there are some cases where liver spots can hinder the detection of skin cancer such as melanoma. If you are unsure about certain spots on your skin, it’s best to go and have it diagnosed as soon as possible to find out whether they are indeed age spots or not.
How Are They Diagnosed?
Diagnosis of live and age spots is usually done through visual inspection. A doctor would look at the spots and your skin in general to find out whether the condition is benign (not cancerous but tumor formation) or not. Age will also play a vital role in the diagnosis of liver spots since they usually appear on people who are 40 and above. If the doctor is suspicious about the spots (e.g. they are irregular in shape and color), a skin biopsy will be necessary. Skin biopsy is done by taking a sample of your skin and sending it in for analysis.
Does Diet Play A Role In The Development Of Liver Spots?
Diet has no direct effect in the formation of liver spots since the main cause for them is prolonged exposure to UV rays from the sun. However, just like any organ in the body, the skin needs essential nutrients such as beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E in order for it to stay healthy. If the kind of food you eat every day lack these elements, chances are, you will eventually leave your skin susceptible and increase the chances of you developing age spots.
How Do I Prevent & Get Rid Of Liver Spots?
There are several ways to get rid of liver spots, including advanced cosmetic treatments and natural home remedies. Having said that, prevention is perhaps the best method. To protect your skin, practice basic skin care whenever you’re outdoors:
Minimize Sun Exposure
Repeated and excessive exposure to the sun causes the formation of liver and age spots. While sunlight is basically good for the skin and bones, avoiding direct exposure from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon is advised. It is during this period when sunlight is most harmful and will tend to produce skin pigmentation such as age spots.
Wear Skin Protection
Staying out of the sun is inevitable for a lot of us, but in order to avoid the formation of more liver spots, keep your skin covered at all times.
Wearing long sleeve or turtleneck (or collared) shirts is a good way to protect the hands, arms and the back of the neck, but this can be quite uncomfortable especially during the summer.
At the very least, slap on sunscreen lotion with a 30+ SPF rating. Bringing along an umbrella, a hat, or a cap and wearing sunglasses is also a good ways to protect yourself from UV damage and prevent the skin damage, wrinkles and liver spots later on in life.
Use Nourishing Creams
Nourishing creams are skin care products that in essence provide nourishment for the skin. They can come as light creams you can use during the day or as night creams you can apply whilst sleeping at night. They are designed to smooth away wrinkles and improve the appearance of skin affected by age spots and other signs of aging.
Compared to liver spot creams (a type of cream people use to treat these kinds of skin pigmentation problems), nourishing creams are much safer to use. There have been claims that some of these creams, especially those that are hydroquinone-based can be harmful to the skin.
Hydroquinone is an ingredient found in most bleaching and skin lightening creams, which according to some studies, when used in high amounts can cause skin cancer. Nourishing creams on the other hand usually contain a combination of natural ingredients which can produce little or no negative side effects at all.
Age Spots Treatments
There are several forms of treatment available to remove age spots, some of which include: microdermabrasion, cryotherapy, chemical peeling, and laser therapy. Among these methods laser therapy and cryosurgery are considered the quickest and most precise.
Home Remedies
Some people cannot afford to undergo cosmetic surgery so they resort to home remedies. Home remedies usually include the use of extracts found in plants such as aloe vera, papaya, lemon, and even carrots. They do not produce fast results unlike surgery but they are nonetheless effective in treating age spots over long periods of time.
If you are worried about your age spots, talk to your dermatologist and get advice on the most suitable form of treatment for your skin condition.
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