Your doctor has told you that those brown spots that appeared suddenly on your skin are nothing to worry about – they are simply age spots. That’s great news.

But if you don’t like how they look, you might be wondering how you got those spots, how can you get rid of them and how to avoid getting more.

Age spots, which are sometimes called liver spots or solar lentigines, happen after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, says dermatologist Amy Kassouf, MD. They can be tan, brown or black, vary in size and usually appear on the areas most exposed to the sun such as the face, hands, shoulders and arms.

“Age spots are common in adults older than age 50,” Dr. Kassouf says. “But younger people can get them too, especially if they spend a lot of time in the sun or use tanning beds.”

How age spots develop

Your skin contains melanin, which gives your skin its color. Melanin also gives you a tan when your skin is exposed to UV light.

Age spots appear when melanin becomes clumped in the skin or is produced in high concentrations, such as when your skin is exposed to lots of UV light, Dr. Kassouf says.

Anyone can develop age spots, but you may be more likely to develop the condition if you have light-colored or fair skin or have a history of frequent or intense sun exposure or sunburn.

Older women are more susceptible to age spots — and sun damage — because they have reduced amounts of melanin in the skin.

What you can do about age spots

If you’re unhappy with the appearance of age spots, you can lighten or remove them. The pigment is at the base of the epidermis — the topmost layer of skin — so any treatments meant to lighten the age spots must penetrate this layer of skin.

Age spot treatments include:

• Prescription lightening creams (hydroquinone) used alone or with retinoids (tretinoin) and a mild steroid may gradually fade the spots over several months.
• Laser and intense pulsed light therapies can target melanin granules and melanin-producing cells (melanocytes) without damaging the skin’s surface.
• Freezing, or cryotherapy, involves applying liquid nitrogen or another freezing agent to the age spots to destroy the extra pigment.
• Laser resurfacing, which can remove sun-damaged cells to freshen skin and fade spots.
• Chemical peel, which involves applying to the age spots an acid that releases the outer layer of your skin.

These procedures can have side effects, so discuss your options carefully with your dermatologist, Dr. Kassouf says.  It’s important to make sure your dermatologist is specially trained and experienced in the technique you’re considering, she says.

-Cleveland Clinic