Liver Spots - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Pictures

Liver spots are flat, brown and black patches or spots that develop on the skin due to exposure to the sun.

Liver spots are commonly seen in adults aged 50 and above but can affect anybody. People with the following factors have higher chances of getting liver spots:

1. Spend most of their time in the sun.
2. Have a light skin tone.
3. Have a history of severe sunburn.
4. Use tanning beds. 

Liver spots do not cause any uncomfortable symptoms like itching or pain. The main symptoms are their nasty appearance. A person with liver spots may:

1. Have a tan or dark brown complexion.
2. Circular, flat, or oval patches.
3. Painless spots
4. Notice spots on the face, neck, hands, or arms.
5. Have varied sizes of spots.

A person notices liver spots in areas where the skin pigment, melanin (the pigment responsible for the skin colour) has got gathered. 

When the sun’s UV lights fall on the skin, the process of melanin production speeds up and, over time, causes liver spots. A person may also develop liver spots after a medical treatment like radiation therapy.

A dermatologist will diagnose liver spots primarily by examining them. The following methods are used for the diagnosis of Liver spots:

1. Visual Inspection: The doctor will examine the Spots by looking at them. The doctor will be able to differentiate Liver Spots from other skin infections by looking at them. 
2. Skin Biopsy: If the doctor feels that the spots are irregular or unusual or may be cancerous, then they might ask the patient to do a skin biopsy. The biopsy helps to rule out skin cancer.

The best way to prevent liver spots is to avoid UV light and sun damage. A person must:

1. Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 daily and reapply every two hours.
2. Avoid the sun during the midday from 10 am to 2 pm as the sun rays are the most intense at this time.
3. Wear protective clothing like a hat, full pants, or long sleeves.
4. Not use tanning beds.

Usually, patients do not require treatment for liver spots, but they may want to lighten them. The treatment for liver spots includes:

1. Chemical Peels: This treatment is done to remove the outer skin layer using a chemical solution safely. The dermatologist may also recommend cryotherapy or microdermabrasion after chemical peels to obtain the best results.
2. Topicals: The doctor recommends skin-lightening gels, creams, or lotions to lighten the liver spots. 
3. Dermabrasion: The dermatologist uses an exfoliating agent like a scrub or a handheld device to smooth the liver spots away. Compared to chemical peels, it takes longer to get the desired results using dermabrasion.
4. Cryotherapy: The doctor freezes the liver spots to damage the melanocytes (melanin-producing cells). It works quickly but can be a bit uncomfortable. 
5. Laser Resurfacing: The laser safely removes the topmost layer of the skin by destroying the melanocytes. In many cases, only one or two laser therapy sessions are needed to get rid of liver spots.