What Do Age Spots on Hands Look Like? Pictures and Treatment

Understanding Age Spots on Hands

As skin ages with time and sun exposure, small dark flat spots called age spots often appear. While usually harmless, age spots may sometimes indicate more serious skin conditions. Learning to identify age spots guides appropriate treatment.

What are Age Spots?

Age spots, also called liver spots or solar lentigines, present as tan, brown or black patches on sun-exposed areas like the face, hands, shoulders and forearms. Ranging in size from 1/8 to 12 inch across, these spots result from melanin overproduction in elderly skin.

Appearance of Age Spots

Age spots exhibit the following visual characteristics:

• Flat rather than raised
• Round or oval shape with irregular edges
• Tan to deep brown/black color
• Usually multiple spots clustered together
• Gradual appearance over time
• Various sizes like freckles or larger

These benign spots tend to increase with advanced aging and cumulative sun exposure over the years. Location on the hands provides early visibility.

Age Spot Causes and Risk Factors

Excess melanin produced in aging skin causes age spots triggered by combinations of:

• Photoaging from chronic sun exposure
• Hormonal changes
• Genetics and ethnicity
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Smoking tobacco
• DNA damage accumulation

Underlying reasons lead to uneven melanin distribution in sun exposed elderly skin. Fair skinned people face higher risks for developing more age spots.

Pictures of Age Spots on Hands

Images showing examples of typical age spots on the hands help identify these harmless skin spots versus more serious marks requiring medical evaluation.

Image 1

Brown flat spot on hand dorsum distinct against paler skin in elderly person

Image 2

Multiple light and dark brown macules visible across back of aging hand

Image 3

Clustered faint small brown spots on elderly woman's hand and wrist

Differentiating Age Spots vs Melanoma

While usually benign, size, color or changing appearance prompts concerns to rule out melanoma. Comparing age spot pictures vs melanoma images is instructive.

Melanoma Features

Danger signs differentiating melanoma from age spots involve:

• Asymmetry - irregular tumor shape
• Border irregularity - ragged edges
• Color variation - tan/brown/black sections
• Diameter over 6mm - large lesion
• Elevation - raised surface texture
• Evolution - recent changes in the mark

Malignant marks exhibit changes compared to longstanding stable age spots. Rapidly evolving skin lesions need urgent medical assessment to check for melanoma.

Comparing Images

Contrast sample pictures below illustrating differences between harmless age spots versus concerning skin cancers like melanoma requiring biopsy.

Image A

Single dark brown flat small circular age spot on back of hand

Image B

Large black asymmetrical raised mole on person's wrist warranting cancer screening

Learning to visually distinguish benign age spots from potentially malignant changes guides appropriate dermatology evaluation when warranted.

Age Spot Treatment Options

Various over-the-counter and medical therapies treat troublesome appearance of age spots on hands and other exposed areas.

OTC Bleaching Creams

Skin lightening products with hydroquinone, kojic acid, vitamin C and retinoids help fade age spot pigmentation gradually over months with consistent application.

Sunscreen

Using broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen rated SPF 30 or higher prevents new photoaging and protects existing spots from worsening darker with ongoing sun damage when applied properly.

Dermabrasion and Lasers

In-office procedures like microdermabrasion crystals, intense pulse light devices and fractionated resurfacing lasers effectively remove age spots. Multiple treatments spaced weeks apart provides optimal results.

Cryotherapy

Liquid nitrogen spray freezes and destroys excess pigment in age spots eliminating them. Can temporarily lighten surrounding skin also.

Chemical Peels

Medium-depth chemical peel solutions applied to the skin slough off top layers diminishing appearance of age spots. Several treatments usually needed for best effects.

Discuss all treatment alternatives with your dermatologist to determine the best approach to safely minimize age spots.

Preventing Age Spots

While age spots naturally emerge eventually with intrinsic aging, you can delay onset and slow progression using proven prevention strategies.

Strict Sun Protection

Vigilantly shield skin from sun exposure using protective clothing, hats and properly applied water resistant broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen to limit further photoaging.

Antioxidant Diet

Eat plenty colorful fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E to protect skin cell DNA from ongoing damage contributing to pigmentation as we age.

Quit Smoking

Avoid direct skin contact and cellular harm from tobacco smoking which accelerates aging changes like age spots over time.

Topical Retinoids

Using non-prescription retinol or retinaldehyde creams renews skin cell turnover reducing uneven pigmentation. Consult your dermatologist before starting.

Dedicate efforts to skin protection and lifestyle changes that deter development of age spots even into older age.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.