Liver Spots - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Pictures
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Liver spots are also called sunspots, age spots, and solar lentigines as they are dark, flat patches on the skin on parts exposed to the sun.
Usually, these liver spots don’t need treatment, as they may lighten with time. However, some of us may want to get them treated for cosmetic purposes. Here, you will learn about the causes, symptoms, treatment, liver spot pictures, and how to prevent them.
Disease Name |
Liver spots |
Alternative Name |
Sunspots, Age spots, Solar Lentigines |
Symptoma |
Have a tan or dark brown complexion, Circular, flat, or oval patches, and Painless spots. Notice spots on the face, neck, hands, or arms. |
Causes | Sun’s UV lights fall on the skin, melanin production speeds up and causes liver spots. |
Diagnosis | Skin Biopsy |
Treated By |
Dermatologist |
Treatment Options |
Chemical peels, Topicals, Dermabrasion, Cryotherapy, Laser resurfacing |
What are Liver Spots?
Liver spots are flat, brown and black patches or spots that develop on the skin due to exposure to the sun.
Liver spots are commonly seen in adults aged 50 and above but can affect anybody. People with the following factors have higher chances of getting liver spots:
- Spend most of their time in the sun.
- Have a light skin tone.
- Have a history of severe sunburn.
- Use tanning beds.
Symptoms of Liver Spots
Liver spots do not cause any uncomfortable symptoms like itching or pain. The main symptoms are their nasty appearance. A person with liver spots may:
- Have a tan or dark brown complexion.
- Circular, flat, or oval patches.
- Painless spots
- Notice spots on the face, neck, hands, or arms.
- Have varied sizes of spots.
Causes of Liver Spots
A person notices liver spots in areas where the skin pigment, melanin (the pigment responsible for the skin colour) has got gathered.
When the sun’s UV lights fall on the skin, the process of melanin production speeds up and, over time, causes liver spots. A person may also develop liver spots after a medical treatment like radiation therapy.
Liver Spots Diagnosis
A dermatologist will diagnose liver spots primarily by examining them. The following methods are used for the diagnosis of Liver spots:
- Visual Inspection: The doctor will examine the Spots by looking at them. The doctor will be able to differentiate Liver Spots from other skin infections by looking at them.
- Skin Biopsy: If the doctor feels that the spots are irregular or unusual or may be cancerous, then they might ask the patient to do a skin biopsy. The biopsy helps to rule out skin cancer.
Prevention of Liver Spots
The best way to prevent liver spots is to avoid UV light and sun damage. A person must:
- Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 daily and reapply every two hours.
- Avoid the sun during the midday from 10 am to 2 pm as the sun rays are the most intense at this time.
- Wear protective clothing like a hat, full pants, or long sleeves.
- Not use tanning beds.
Treatment of Liver Spots
Usually, patients do not require treatment for liver spots, but they may want to lighten them. The treatment for liver spots includes:
- Chemical Peels: This treatment is done to remove the outer skin layer using a chemical solution safely. The dermatologist may also recommend cryotherapy or microdermabrasion after chemical peels to obtain the best results.
- Topicals: The doctor recommends skin-lightening gels, creams, or lotions to lighten the liver spots.
- Dermabrasion: The dermatologist uses an exfoliating agent like a scrub or a handheld device to smooth the liver spots away. Compared to chemical peels, it takes longer to get the desired results using dermabrasion.
- Cryotherapy: The doctor freezes the liver spots to damage the melanocytes (melanin-producing cells). It works quickly but can be a bit uncomfortable.
- Laser Resurfacing: The laser safely removes the topmost layer of the skin by destroying the melanocytes. In many cases, only one or two laser therapy sessions are needed to get rid of liver spots.
FAQs for Liver Spots Picture
What causes liver spots to appear?
The harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun produce liver spots. The UV rays speed up the melanin production process, which causes liver spots.
What is the medical treatment for liver spots?
The treatment options for liver spots include chemical peels, topical agents, cryotherapy, dermabrasion, and laser resurfacing.
What do liver damage spots look like?
What deficiency causes liver spots?
Liver spots are caused due to skin damage due to UV rays. The UV rays produce more melanin and cause clumping of melanin resulting in liver spots. [1] They are not produced due to a nutritional deficiency.
Should I worry about liver spots?
Liver spots/age spots do not produce any damaging symptoms apart from looking ugly. However, they do look like a certain type of skin cancer. Therefore, you must consult a dermatologist to get a clear diagnosis.
Can liver spots turn cancerous?
Can liver spots go away?
Liver spots can be treated to lighten the skin tone by laser resurfacing, chemical peel, dermabrasion, topical agent, and cryotherapy.
Can stress cause liver spots?
What do cancerous age spots look like?
Liver spots/age spots are not cancerous. An age spot may look flat, dark, and circular. However, it is always advisable to get these spots checked by a dermatologist. They will properly examine and diagnose the root cause and provide appropriate treatment.
Do liver spots appear suddenly?
What colour are cancerous spots?
How do you get rid of liver spots at home?
You can get rid of liver spots by using lemon juice, potato, buttermilk, orange peel, etc.
- Vitamin C and citric acid in lemon juice are good natural bleaching agents.
- The sugar and starch in potatoes has exfoliating properties that rub away the dead skin.
- The lactic acid in buttermilk and yoghurt helps to exfoliate and lighten the skin tone.
- Orange peel has vitamin C that lightens darkened skin.
Is Lemon Juice good for liver spots?
Lemon juice can be helpful for liver spots. It contains citric acid i.e., vitamin C, a natural bleaching agent that aids in lightening the skin tone. You can dab some lemon juice using a cotton ball on the affected part and rinse it off after a few hours.
At what age can you get liver spots?
Updated on : 28 November 2022
Reviewer
Dr. Aman Priya Khanna
MBBS, DNB General Surgery, Fellowship in Minimal Access Surgery, FIAGES
12 Years Experience
Dr Aman Priya Khanna is a well-known General Surgeon, Proctologist and Bariatric Surgeon currently associated with HealthFort Clinic, Health First Multispecialty Clinic in Delhi. He has 12 years of experience in General Surgery and worke...View More
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She has extensive experience in content and regulatory writing with reputed organisations like Sun Pharmaceuticals and Innodata. Skilled in SEO and passionate about creating informative and engaging medical conten...View More
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