What are liver spots and why do we get them?
Liver spots (age spots) develop when extra melanin becomes “clumped” or is produced in higher concentrations than normal. Melanin is the pigment of your skin – the same pigment that gives someone a “tan” and determines a person’s baseline skin color. Most often, it takes years of sun exposure for these dark spots to occur — they typically develop very slowly over time. Using commercial tanning lamps and tanning beds can eventually result in the same changes. In addition to sun exposure, simply growing older can cause the extra production of melanin and subsequent age spots. Genetics also plays a role in how susceptible you are to the development of age spots.
