What Are Age Spots?
Age spots, sometimes called solar lentigines, are brown patches that tend to appear on skin that has had a lot of sun exposure over the years. They’re commonly found on the face, hands, shoulders and chest.
They may appear:
- Light brown, dark brown or tan.
- Flat, with a clearly defined outline.
- On the face, hands, arms, shoulders or upper chest.
- As single marks or several patches across sun-exposed skin.
Although people often associate them with getting older, sun exposure is a major contributing factor. Some call them liver spots, but they aren’t caused by a liver problem.
An important distinction: Age spots Flitwick are usually harmless, but not every brown mark is an age spot. Some skin cancers can look much the same. If a spot is new, changing or looks unusual, get it checked by your GP before treating it for cosmetic reasons.