What Causes Age Spots?

Erase Tattoo  & Age Spot Removal in Oak Brook, IL 

Age spots, we see them all the time. Now, we tend to think of age spots to be something that only happen to elderly people but the reality is that age spots can happen on anyone who spends lots of time in the sun. Yes, they do tend to happen to elderly more but that is because they have had more time to be in the sun and their skin is more prone to developing them.

So what causes age spots?

Age spots are caused by having a large amount of time spent in the sun and thus, exposing your skin to ultraviolet rays from the sun (UV rays). Now, these age spots can happen from other causes as well but the sun exposure is a big part of the development. In addition to exposure to UV rays from the sun, you can also develop age spots from the use of tanning lamps (especially the commercial ones) and tanning beds (this is perhaps the second biggest cause of age spots because of how popular tanning beds are for people). These three sources all are big contributors to the development of agespots.

See, the color in your skin is dictated by the top layer of skin (also known as the epidermis layer of skin) due to the melanin components in the skin. When your skin is exposed to the UV rays that are emitted by the sun or tanning beds or tanning lamps, the production of the melanin is increased much more rapidly than when not exposed. Why does this happen? It is the body’s natural defense to protect the skins deeper layers, such as the dermis layer (the layer right below the epidermis layer).

For layers of skin that have had years and years of exposure (prolonged, unprotected exposure), age spots become a presence on the skin. The melanin in the skin is produced in a higher concentration in certain areas of the skin, like clusters or bunches. Even if you are good about managing the exposure of UV rays to your skin in your life, you can still develop age spots when you get older due to a natural increase in production of melanin.

Another cause of melanin in the skin can be something simple like your genetic makeup. Depending on your DNA, your melanin production can be higher, and increase as you age, because your DNA says it should.

If you are considering getting rid of your age spots, then contactErase Tattoo Removal. As a Chicago tattoo removal studio, we have experience removing age spots/sun spots in addition to removing tattoos.

Connect with ERASE on Facebook or give us a call 630-586-0000


Email questions & comments to Erase Tattoo Removal Studio: erase@erasetattooremoval.com