Age Spot Removal

Over time, our skin can show signs of age and sun exposure in the form of age spots, also known as sun spots or liver spots. These spots are usually harmless and don’t require medical treatment. However, they can become a cosmetic concern, particularly when they gather in large clusters or grow in size, or if they appear on the face where they are most visible.

Here at Centre for Surgery, we’re able to help. We can lighten or remove these age spots for you, enhancing your skin’s appearance. You don’t need to go through your GP for a referral to come to us – we’re happy to see you directly, offering expert advice and treatment options tailored to your needs.

Age spots, also referred to as solar lentigo, are harmless pigmented flat patches on the skin often resulting from prolonged exposure to sunlight. In these spots, melanin, the pigment that gives colour to our skin, accumulates in skin cells due to varying levels of melanocyte proliferation, typically triggered by sunlight. Usually, a diagnosis of solar lentigo is straightforward and doesn’t require any special tests; the spots are identified simply by their appearance.

These solar lentigos are benign and should not be confused with actinic keratosis, a pre-cancerous skin lesion which can also be found in areas of skin frequently exposed to the sun, and which can often occur in patients with age spots. However, the two are not the same, and solar lentigo does not have pre-cancerous characteristics.

Although these age spots pose no health risk, many people seek treatment to improve their cosmetic appearance. The old term ‘liver spots’ was once used to describe these spots due to a supposed link with liver health, but this theory has since been debunked. Age spots and liver health are not related.

Solar lentigo, or age spots, should not be mistaken for another common age-related skin condition known as seborrhoeic keratosis. Seborrhoeic keratosis often presents as a darker, stuck-on patch typically found on the face and forehead. It’s also entirely harmless and can be treated effectively with an Erbium YAG laser.

Historically, a variety of treatments have been used for age spot removal, with differing levels of success. These treatments include skin peeling creams, cryotherapy (freezing), and chemical peels.

In the past, topical retinoid creams, TCA chemical peels, and cryotherapy have been commonly used in the treatment of solar lentigo. The use of ablative CO2 lasers, however, has not been as successful due to a significant risk of resulting hyperpigmentation after treatment.

At the Centre for Surgery in London, we use the latest generation Erbium YAG laser for the safe and effective treatment of age spots. This method allows for minimal downtime and carries a reduced risk of scarring, making it a preferred choice for age spot removal.

When dealing with skin conditions caused by sun exposure like solar lentigo, it’s important to consider a person’s Fitzpatrick skin type. The Fitzpatrick classification details six different skin types based on skin colour and how a person’s skin responds to sunlight:

Type 1: Very white or freckled skin that always burns and never tans in sunlight. Type 2: Fair skin that burns easily and tans poorly. Type 3: Darker white skin that tans after an initial burn. Type 4: Light brown skin that burns minimally and tans easily. Type 5: Brown skin that rarely burns and tans easily. Type 6: Dark brown or black skin that never burns and always tans darkly.

Typically, age spot removal is more often carried out on individuals with lighter skin types who have a long history of sun exposure. Age spot removal can also commonly be performed alongside the removal of seborrheic keratosis and actinic keratosis.

So, what differentiates age spots from freckles? While they can appear similar, there are distinct differences between the two. Freckles are usually much smaller than age spots and are genetically influenced, meaning certain individuals are naturally more prone to developing them. In contrast, sun spots can appear on anyone, regardless of their genetics, especially those with a history of sun exposure.