Causative & risk factors
Exposure to ultraviolet rays is the biggest reason for development of liver spots on the skin. Individuals are exposed to these rays via exposure to the sun as well as in commercial tanning beds.
Fair-skinned individuals and those with a history of sunburns are at a higher risk of developing age spots.
Clinical presentation
The commonest location of liver spots is the face and other sun-exposed areas such as the shoulders, upper back and back of the hands and feet. The spots are flattened and are brown, black or tan in color. These spots are painless and they do not alter the texture of the skin.
Investigations
The diagnosis of liver spots can be made on the basis of appearance of the skin alone. If the doctor finds that a spot looks irregular (malignancy), he/she would ask you to undergo a skin biopsy.
Treatment
Liver spots are harmless and hence medically no treatment is recommended. However if the patient finds them cosmetically undesirable, there are ways to lighten them by means of bleaching creams or laser therapy.
