Age Spots and Sun Spots: Recognition and Treatment Options

A solar lentigo is a usually flat, tan to brown spot on sun-exposed skin. Its size and outline can vary. The names “age spot” and “sun spot” refer to this common mark, but UV exposure, rather than age alone, contributes to its formation.

Age spots are one cause of dark spots on the face. Melasma and marks left after inflammation have a different history and pattern. Colour alone cannot distinguish them.

Ultraviolet light stimulates the production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. Over years of exposure, this pigment can become concentrated in some areas and form age spots. Tanning beds can also contribute to their appearance.

The face, backs of the hands, forearms, neck and upper chest are regularly exposed to sunlight. Age spots can appear in these areas, but not every mark there is a solar lentigo. Location helps explain sun exposure; the spot’s appearance and changes over time still matter when identifying it.

Freckles, or ephelides, generally become more noticeable in summer and fade in winter. Age spots usually remain throughout the seasons. Melasma has a different pattern of pigmentation, while a mark that appears after irritation may be post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The history of a spot and how it changes over time are therefore more useful than colour alone.

A confirmed solar lentigo is benign. However, it can resemble a seborrhoeic keratosis or another lesion, including one that needs medical assessment. Treating an uncertain mark as a cosmetic spot can delay its identification. A resemblance to a photograph is not enough to confirm what it is.

A mark that changes in size, shape or colour, bleeds, itches or becomes crusty should be examined by a doctor. The same applies to a new or unusual mark that persists for a few weeks. These signs do not necessarily mean cancer, but they are a reason to identify the lesion before trying to fade it.

Shade, protective clothing and a wide-brimmed hat reduce sun exposure. On uncovered skin, a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher adds protection. Reapply it every two hours, and after swimming or heavy sweating. Sun protection helps limit new spots; it does not erase existing ones.

Once the spot has been identified, treatment choice depends on the skin, the desired result and the risks involved. The time needed to see a change, the possibility of irritation or colour changes, and care after a procedure matter as much as the potential to fade the spot. An option suited to an age spot is not automatically suitable for melasma.

A faded spot can return, and new ones can appear. Sun protection remains useful after treatment because it limits a factor that contributes to new pigmentation. It does not guarantee that spots will not recur, and the result on one spot does not predict how every other spot will respond.