At a certain age, it is inevitable that the skin loses a bit of vitality and begin to emerge the first signs of ageing. A very common sign of ageing is the appearance of small black or brown spots in various places such as the neck, face and hands. This skin disorder is known as solar lentigines or also known as age spots, and usually appear after 40 years, although they could also appear at the age of 30 due to certain circumstances such as the genetics of a person.
If you are wondering “why are there spots on the skin with age?”, in this article, we will explain the main causes of solar lentigines and some tips to delay their appearance in our dermis.
Causes of age spots on the skin:
The solar lentigines or age spots are painless spots that occur because of the slowdown in cell function due to the ageing and sun exposure, which causes an irregular production of melanin in our body. These are very common from the age of 40 and, in general, appear in areas such as the back of the hands, face and neck, although they can also appear in other regions of our body such as the back, shoulders and feet.
If you wonder why skin spots appear with age, then we tell you its main causes:
● Overexposure to UV rays:
This is undoubtedly the most important cause of the appearance of spots. The excesses of sun or prolonged sessions in tanning chambers, accumulate over the years in our skin and, as a result, occurs at a certain age an abnormal production of melanin that derives in solar lentigines.
● Inheritance:
Age spots are more likely to appear in some people, simply because of genetic issues.
● Photosensitizing compounds:
This cause has nothing to do with age. Some substances that contain certain products for skin care can cause us allergic reactions when we expose ourselves to the sun, producing spots in the dermis.
● Other causes:
May also arise from chronic diseases or nutrition deficient in vitamins.
Treatment to eliminate skin spots by age:
Age spots are painless and mostly they do not lead to other skin diseases. However, if you do not like having them on your skin, there are aesthetic treatments such as skin peeling, Fraxel laser therapy, etc. that can remarkably eliminate them.
Apart from that, there are other creams or lotions based on hydroquinone, a compound with whitening properties that is responsible for lightening the dark areas of the skin. But, before using this type of treatment, it is essential that you go to a professional trained in dermatology since hydroquinone can cause adverse effects in people with sensitive skin, such as skin reactions and blisters.
Tips to prevent stains that come with age:
● Always use half an hour before any sun exposure, high quality sunscreens that, at least, contain a protection factor of 30.
● Avoid sun exposure in the hours where UV rays are most harmful. That is, from 11 in the morning until 3 pm.
● You can sunbathe daily, as long as you are not exposed more than half an hour to UV rays.
● Also protect your body, especially if you have sensitive skin, with the right clothes. In addition, sunglasses should also be worn during the day to protect the eyes.
● Try to follow a diet rich in antioxidants, as these nutrients protect us from free radicals and cellular oxidation, thus preventing premature aging of the skin.
