Are Age Spots Hereditary?

 

Age spots are an unfortunate aspect of aging that can impact a patient’s confidence and self-esteem as they proliferate through the years.

Are Age Spots Hereditary?

Although not a medically serious issue, age spots are generally considered to be unpleasant and undesirable, and most people would prefer to live without them.

 

If you’re suffering from age spots, then you might be wondering exactly how and why they appear. This can help you anticipate whether or not you’ll have to prepare to deal with them yourself.

 

If you come from a family where these are common, then chances are that you’ll have to deal with age spot removal at some point. That’s because these troublesome spots are unfortunately hereditary.

 

What Are Age Spots?

 

Age spots are sections of the skin that have become discolored due to the natural process of aging. Because of their appearance, it’s quite easy to mistake them for freckles, or even cancerous lesions.

 

Age spots oftentimes appear as misshapen and asymmetrical discolorations on the skin of a patient. They are also known by the names liver spots or sun spots. These names come from the fact that these are common sources of stress for the skin as we age.

 

Most people don’t experience the emergence of age spots until at least middle age, and they don’t become common often until one is in their advanced years.

 

The good news about age spots is that they aren’t medically dangerous, just unpleasant to look at. This makes their removal an aesthetic issue rather than a medical one.

 

What Causes Age Spots

 

Aside from inheriting a tendency to develop them hereditarily, there are a number of common causes for the development of age spots.

 

Some of the most common causes include the following:

 

• Aging
• UV light exposure
• Excessive tanning
• Stress on the skin

Age spots can appear anywhere, but there are a few places where they appear most commonly. Some examples include the following spots on the body:

 

• Face
• Back of the hands
• Shoulders
• Upper back
• Forearms

 

Who Will Receive Age Spots?

 

As stated before, many individuals come with a genetic predisposition towards developing age spots. Asides from this very common factor for development, there are others. Some of the most common include:

 

• Being over 40 years of age
• Having fair skin
• Having a history of excessive sun exposure
• Having a history of tanning

 

Any or all of these can contribute to the development of age spots on the skin of a vulnerable person.

 

How Can I Tell If It’s An Age Spot?

 

If you have a mark on your skin that you suspect might be an age spot, the first step toward treatment is to identify whether or not it’s an age spot or not.

 

This is important not only to resolve your issues with age spots but to ensure that you’re not dealing with a more medically serious issue.

 

This is because there are many conditions that are much more serious than age spots that appear similar. One example is skin cancer.

 

When going over the marking that you suspect might be age spots, your physician will make an assessment based on a number of different factors. These factors include:

 

• Color – age spots are typically light brown to black
• Texture – age spots typically have a texture identical to that of your normal skin
• Size – age spots come in a wide variety of sizes, from the size of a freckle to about an inch in diameter.
• Grouping – age spots can appear just by themselves or in a group.
• Shape – age spots are typically round or oval with clearly defined edges.

 

How Are Age Spots Treated?

 

There are a number of treatments available for removing age spots. Some of the most common treatments include:

 

• IPL Treatment: IPL treatment emits light waves that pass through the skin and target melanin in order to break up the age spots.
• Chemical Peels: A chemical peel applies a minute amount of acidic material to the top layer of the skin, burning off age spots.
• Dermabrasion: This procedure sands away the outer layers of skin, allowing a new layer of skin to grow in its place.
• Cryosurgery: Cryosurgery freezes individual age spots with intense cold. This procedure carries with it some risks and can cause blisters, pain, and scarring.

 

Schedule A Consultation Today

If you have age spots, or would like to learn whether or not you are at risk for developing them, then schedule a consultation with our cosmetic dermatology center in order to determine whether you are a good candidate for having them removed.