Age spots are also called as liver spots. The scientific term given to these spots is “Lentigo Senilis”. Age spots are caused due to over exposure of the skin to sunlight, especially ultraviolet rays. Age spots generally occur in older people; people who are above the age of 40 years but it is not uncommon to find younger people with age spots too. These spots are prevalent in people whose occupation exposes them to excessive amounts of sunlight. They also are concentrated in areas of the skin that receive maximum amount of sunlight. Face, arms, back of the palms, neck, shoulders and back are the most common areas where age spots occur. These spots can be of brown, red or black color and are more commonly present in lighter skinned people. Some tan skinned people can also develop age spots but even they appear in advanced ages and not as early as lighter skinned people. Age spots were once thought to be the effects of liver malfunction and so, they were called liver spots. Since, then, it has been scientifically established that there is no relation between these spots and the function of the liver; the spots are direct effects of over exposure to sunlight.

Age spots are completely harmless. They are not symptoms of other diseases and ailments nor do they spread over the skin surface as a contamination effect. They individually do not have any adverse effects on the body. These spots are a reflection of the loss of skin’s ability to rejuvenate. They also reflect the degeneration of melanin pigments of the skin. These pigments protect the skin against damage from sunlight and also help in maintaining an even skin tone. As age progresses, the melanin pigments lose their abilities and this is reflected through age spots. Age spots are not big in size and shape; they are usually small dots of skin pigmentation. When these spots appear as concentrated clusters, they can give an appearance of bigger size. Age spots increase in density and size as the age progresses. Age spots are also aesthetically unappealing; they mar the appearance of the people, especially if they are on the face, neck and chest areas. They can be removed easily by either superficial dermabration methods or invasive procedures like laser treatment. People choose to remove the age spots to enhance their aesthetic appearance.