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.

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

The Key to Younger Looking Skin: Removing Age Spots

Something new and exciting at Erase Tattoo Removal is Age Spot Removal. Some of you may wonder what are Age Spots?  Often age spots are referred to by different names including Liver Spots, Sun Spots, and Solar Lentigines which can lead to confusion. The name originally given to these spots was Liver Spots but since that time doctors and medical professionals have discovered that they are not at all  related or caused by the liver. Liver spots are actually caused by increased sun exposure and ultra-violet rays from the sun and they appear when there is an excessive amount of melanin production. Often age spots appear later on in people's lives and for people who have had excessive exposure to sunlight throughout their youth.  The most common areas where sun spots appear on are on the face and neck but we have seen clients with age spots on their hands, shoulders and chest.

The most important information the public needs to about these spots is how to prevent and how to protect the skin from developing them. This applies to people who have never had an Age spot or those who had them removed. The best advice is to be proactive and protect the skin from exposure that could lead to not only age spots but other skin related problems that come with exposure to sunlight. 

The best tips to protect yourself from Ultra-Violet light by wearing sunscreen at all times while outdoors, avoiding direct sunlight during peak hours (10 AM-2 PM) and wearing protective clothing such as large hats with rims. You can also use umbrellas or wear sheer clothing to cover the areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun. 

For those that are concerned about developing Age Spots on their body, the best advice is to go see a Doctor to have the areas examined. Things to look for that may point to a health concern are dark pigmentation, increase in the size of the spot, strange borders or colors and most importantly itching, burning, blood or redness around the area. Most doctors are trained to be able to differentiate between skin related problems and can identify an Age Spot once looking at it. 

In most cases a biopsy is not necessary but it can give peace of mind if there is concern of cancer or skin cancer runs in the family.  A simple biopsy is then done from a small area of the skin to determine if the there are cancerous cells. This procedure is not time consuming and can usually be done in one short visit.  Age spots do not require any treatment and do not pose a health risk so most people should not be alarmed if they see them developing but it is always good to check with a physician to get peace of mind and then decide if they would like to have them removed for aesthetic reasons. There is no medical danger in Age/Sun spots and the choice to have them removed is purely based on the individuals comfort level with their appearance. 

The clients we have helped with our Q-Laser Removal have been pleased to look younger and be able to feel comfortable with their appearance after the Age Spots are removed. Many people try home creams, micro-dermabrasion and chemical peels only to find that they do not work well, irritate the skin and may end up costing more than the laser removal when it is all combined. We offer a free and easy consult service on our website. This allows people interested to email a photo along with their information. This can save time and travel cost's for those interested in the Laser Removal. While many clinics do not offer these services, we recommend that anyone interested get a consult with a trained medical professional before making a decision on Age Spot Removal. 

The best way to get rid of Sun or Age Spots is to have them removed with a laser. The sessions take no longer then 20-30 min and within a few treatments the Age Spots are gone. We advise anyone having this treatment to be careful going in the sun post laser treatment and to use the same precaution that people without sun spots. Even after laser removal treatment age spots can return if not properly protected from Ultra-Violet rays. 

Age Spots (Solar Lentigines) FAQs

Solar lentigines are something we have discussed in previous blog posts so you might have some familiarity with them. If you do not, we can recap them.

What are age spots?
Solar lentigines are pigmented lesions that are commonly called sun spots or age spots that are little brown, black, or gray spots that appear on the skin. It is the presence of melanin cells in clusters. What causes these is a lot of exposure to ultraviolet rays (UV); this can mean exposure to sun light, tanning beds, anything that emits UV rays.

Are laser treatments safe?
If you come into your Chicago tattoo removal studio, you will be shown the equipment we will use and all the research will let you know that the procedure is indeed safe and our equipment is state of the art. Treatments are safe and effective because we are able to selectively treat pigmented lesions without risk of adversely affecting the tissue around the spot. Every patient will wear eye protection and any other necessary protection. We do not fool around with patient safety.

What are the areas that can be treated? 
We can remove spots that are located on the face, shoulders/arms, chest, legs, etc. Typically, the face, shoulders/arms, and legs are the popular spots for age spots to develop since those are the areas where sun exposure happens the most.

How long do sessions last? 
Each session lasts only a few minutes per spot. You can easily fit a removal session into your lunch break if you had no other time to get into the studio.

How many sessions will I need? 
After one or two sessions, you will see dramatic progress in removing the spots; if you have larger spots or a lot of them, more sessions may be required.

Are there any side effects?
After the treatment sessions, the age spots may darken and a reddening effect around the spots; these effects will likely go away after a few hours. For the following few weeks, the darkened spots will fade and simply flake off.

If you are interested in spot removal, contact Erase Tattoo Removal - a laser tattoo removal studio in Chicagoland. We are able to give free consultations and have doctors handle every removal so you know you are adequately taken care of.

Age Spot 101

As we grow older, our skin tends to show it; unfortunately, it does not look the same at 75 as it did when we were 25, I know, that'd be great if it did. We tend to think that wrinkles are the most common form of aging but the reality is that age spots are actually more of a tell tale sign of getting older. See, wrinkles start to happen in your 50s and 60s, on average, but age spots can appear as early as your 40s. Of course, age spots can appear even before your 40s if you spend a considerable amount of time in the sun.

Age spots are called a few names, you may have heard them called sun spots or liver spots, perhaps even lentigines or solar lentigos. However, to have a term that covered all the terms, many skin care companies have gone to calling any dark spots on your skin, "dark spots". No matter what you call them, the cause and treatments are the same.

So what do these little guys look like? Usually, age spots are brown in color and they live on your epidermis layer of skin, this is the top layer. Sometimes your age spots can appear black as well; regardless of the color they appear, make sure they are not moles, if you're unsure, you can check with a dermatologist. One little check you can do yourself is to see if the spots are raised or not; moles are raised and sun spots are flat and feel the same as the rest of your skin. Simply, sun spots look sort of like larger freckles and they can be clustered in one area due to sun exposure to that part of the skin.

Sun spots can appear anywhere on your body that is exposed to the sun when you go outside; they can appear on your arms, legs, face, shoulders, neck, hands, etc. Like we mentioned, they are caused (mostly) by exposure to the sun so they form where sun exposure happens and can be clustered. Now, we said they're mostly caused by sun exposure but they can also just come around due to the aging process.

If you want to have any sun spots removed, then contact Erase Tattoo Removal - a Chicago tattoo removal studio that also specializes in removal of age spots. We use top notch equipment like the Asclepion TattooStar Effect Laser and have a doctor on staff, Dr. Justin Macariola, who handles all the removals. You can schedule a free consultation.

Erase Now Offers Sun/Age Spot Removal

In addition to our services regarding laser tattoo removal, Erase Tattoo Removal now offers sun spot removal and age spot removal. 

Pigmented lesions are common among people, especially as we age, and they are increasingly being seen as unsightly by those who are affected by them. As of the age of 50, nearly 50 percent of women and approximately 20 percent of men are affected by these pigmented lesions. As with the increase of demand for tattoo removal, there is a great increase in demand for sun spot and age spot removal.

The benign pigmented lesions can be treated with lasers in a variety of ways. We use Q-switched lasers , which are great for this procedure because the laser emits short pulses of light and these are selectively by the color pigments that are the sun spots and age spots.

During the removal process, there is energy that is moving between the colored parts of the skin and the connective tissue, breaking up the spots and starting their removal from the skin. They are broken down  both lymphatically and epidermally. Right after the procedure, the skin will look to be relatively white for 10-20 minutes but this will resolve. For 1-2 weeks after the procedure, you will likely see a crust over the affected skin but this will also resolve itself.

Each spot only takes a few seconds.