Getting more and more of these age spots as you get older is a normal body reaction to sun exposure over time. They most often start popping up at or around age 50, but younger people can also get age spots if they spend a lot of time in the sun.
Age spots are caused by overactive pigment cells. Ultraviolet (UV) light speeds up the production of melanin, a natural pigment that gives skin its color. On skin that has had years of sun exposure, age spots appear when melanin becomes clumped or is produced in high concentrations.
Aging spots are flat and oval and tan, brown, or black marks. They appear on skin that has been the most exposed to sun over the years, such as the backs of hands, tops of feet, face, shoulders, and upper back. Always let your health care provider know if you have any new or unusual spots, and have them checked.
These spots are called “actinic lentigines,” which are more commonly referred to as sun spots, age spots, or liver spots. These small, gray-brown spots aren't a type of skin cancer. They also don't progress to become skin cancer and don't require any treatment.
It is a brown pigment that generally increases with age, and its formation is increased by consumption of unsaturated fats, by vitamin E deficiency, by stress, and by exposure to excess estrogen."
Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) is especially fantastic at treating age spots on the face because it depigments or reduces melanin on the skin—thereby removing dark spots.
Spots that become asymmetric, have borders that shift, get darker or lighter, or change in diameter should be checked for skin cancer. Speed of changes. Age spots tend to shift from pink to yellow to tan to brown over several years. Spots that are changing more rapidly should be evaluated.
A seborrheic keratosis (seb-o-REE-ik ker-uh-TOE-sis) is a common noncancerous (benign) skin growth. People tend to get more of them as they get older. Seborrheic keratoses are usually brown, black or light tan. The growths (lesions) look waxy or scaly and slightly raised.
Liver spots are flat, brown or black spots that can appear on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun. They have nothing to do with the liver or liver function. Lentigos, sometimes called age spots or freckles, are a result of cumulative damage to the skin by sunlight.
The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred. The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue. The spot is larger than ¼ inch across – about the size of a pencil eraser – although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
Age spots aren't necessarily reversible with product use, but their appearance can be faded over time with over-the-counter creams and lotions, depending on how dark the age spots are and how often you apply the product.
Here's one of the major differences: sunspots tend to crop up on areas of your skin that have had a lot of sun exposure over the years. On the other hand, melanoma — the fastest growing and most deadly form of skin cancer — can appear anywhere, even in areas with no sun exposure or limited exposure to UV rays.
“Melasma likely occurs when the pigment producing cells in the skin (melanocytes) produce too much pigment (or melanin),” Dr. Keira explains. “The underlying hormone responsible for triggering the melanocytes is melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH).
Acne is most common in girls from the ages of 14 to 17, and in boys from the ages of 16 to 19. Most people have acne on and off for several years before their symptoms start to improve as they get older. Acne often disappears when a person is in their mid-20s. In some cases, acne can continue into adult life.
A scalpel can easily remove the superficial skin that contains the lesions. Don't try to freeze, burn, or slice off a seborrheic keratosis growth by yourself. In addition to the risk of infection, you may also remove evidence of more lesions that calls for genuine medical treatment.
Age spots are thought to be caused by years of sunlight exposure. The sun damages the pigment-producing cells in the skin (melanocytes), causing them to over-produce pigment in sun-exposed areas. The age spots may increase in size over time and sometimes join together to create larger spots.
Multiple spots are called lentigines. The condition got its name because the spots can resemble lentils in color. They're also called liver spots or age spots. A lentigo can grow very slowly over many years, or it can appear suddenly.
So to answer if vaseline removes dark spots - No, regular Vaseline is just petroleum jelly that seals in moisture and doesn't contain any ingredient that would remove dark spots.
There are no at-home remedies that'll remove age spots entirely. However, you can reduce the appearance of mild age spots by applying creams that gradually lighten them. Typically, patients have to use the creams or serums for a prolonged period of time before noticing a difference.