Age spots are small, dark patches on our skin also commonly referred to as liver spots or solar lentigines. They are more common in those with light skin and typically occur on the face, back of hands, feet, shoulders, and upper back.
They are named as such because they tend to show up in adults older than 40. However, younger adults can get them too if they spend a lot of time in the sun.
Age spots are due to the overproduction of pigment melanin at the base of the epidermis due to frequent and prolonged sun exposure. They can vary in size from freckle-like to over 10mm and are typically harmless.
Prevention is the best cure, so it is important to use sunscreen regularly and avoid the sun. Once formed, they rarely go away on their own. Makeup is an option if you want to try and cover them up. However, they still tend to show through concealer and foundation. While you can try to take oral supplements that claim to fade them, results aren’t guaranteed or may take a long time to show. The same is true for the effect of topical creams.
If you want to see results sooner, you can consider laser or intense pulsed light treatments that can effectively penetrate the epidermis, the topmost layer of the skin, to reach the base where the pigment resides.