Skin
Pigmentation
Hyper pigmentation simply means areas of excess skin pigment
such as freckles or age spots. Because of more radical hormonal changes women are affected
by skin discolorations more often than men. Heredity also plays a
large role in our skin pigmentation including freckles and age spots.
When our skin pigment becomes concentrated in an area it results in a
“spot” darker than the surrounding skin. Sunlight promotes this
accumulation of skin pigment, resulting in explosions of freckles in
many fair skinned people and over time the appearance of age spots.
Freckles may be considered cute, but with our society’s emphasis on
youth and beauty most of us would rather do without age spots.
All people have
two types of
the melanin pigment that help protect us from harmful
ultraviolet rays.
Both types are produced by skin cells called melanocytes. The amber or
red melanin pigment is pheomelanin. In fair skinned people pheomelanin
can result in red hair. The brown or black melanin pigment is
eumelanin. Eumelanin is the main pigment responsible for our hair and
skin color.
All human complexions are broken down into six main skin
types.
Although we typically associate darker skin with skin types 5 and 6,
this is not always the case. In a recent survey 15% of African
Americans indicated that they easily burn in the sun. There are also
fair skinned people who tan easily. The six complexion types were
developed by scientists based not on color, but on how the skin reacts
to ultraviolet light.
-
burns easily, never
tans
-
burns easily, tans
some
-
burns occasionally,
tans well
-
tans easily, rarely
burns
-
tans easily, rarely
burns
-
never burns,
insensitive to the sun
In all types the
number of skin pigment cells decrease with age, but the remaining
pigment cells increase in size.
Moles
Moles are almost
always a result of clustered pigment cells that grow at the spot where the epidermis (outer layer of
the skin) meets the dermis (the layer underneath the epidermis).
Moles are
permanent; they don’t fade away in the winter like freckles sometimes
do. They’re round in shape, flat or elevated, and typically less than
3/16th of an inch in size. They are almost always benign,
but the skin cancer melanoma often begins in a mole. For this reason
any changes in the appearance of a mole should be evaluated by a
physician.
Freckles
The medical community calls them ephelides, but the rest of
us know these
small (1-5 mm), flat, pigmented brown skin spots
as freckles. Freckles
are an inherited autosomal dominant trait that appears equally in
males and females, usually at about the age of two. They are most
common in those with Celtic ancestry. Unlike moles, freckles often
tend to fade away with our youth. Freckles darken after sun exposure
as the melanin absorbs the UV rays, but the sun does not increase the
number of
melanin producing cells.
Age Spots (also known as Sun or Liver Spots)
These beauties
medically known as
Lentigines may
resemble freckles or moles, but no one is born with them. Age spots
can begin appearing when we hit the early thirties, but are very
common after age forty. They occur primarily on skin that has
received substantial sun exposure. These visible signs of sun damage
to the skin are typically seen on the face, neck, and the back of
hands. You can shun the sun all your life and still end up with age
spots as a result of poor liver function, hence the term “liver
spots”, poor nutrition, or insufficient exercise.
Age spots, just
like freckles, are harmless unless they begin to exhibit abnormal
growth. Abnormal growth and irregular shapes should be examined by a
physician, since this could indicate early stages of
melanoma or skin cancer.
Being sensible
about sun exposure, at all ages, and utilizing sunscreen dramatically
decreases the possibility of having age spots in your later years.
The variety of
terms used interchangeably for age spots can be confusing.
·
Age
Spots are dark brown spots on the face and hands which
over time may become darker, thicker, more elevated, and more
numerous.
·
Liver Spots known as
Solar lentigo in the community are flat, round or oval, dark patches
occurring primarily on the face, back, and hands.
·
Sun Spots may or may not be caused by the sun. They are typically
found on the backs of the hands and on the face, especially around the
temple areas.
All of these
“spots” are usually examples of
Seborrheic keratosis. Seborrheic keratosis
characteristics include:
·
Normally tan or brown in color
·
An elevated appearance
·
Multiple occurrences
·
Common on the face, neck, hands, and upper body
·
A specific histological appearance under the microscope
·
A benign (non-cancerous) skin growth
The simplest and cheapest way to stay beautiful and avoid
skin spots is to stay out of the sun as much as possible and use
sun-screen!
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