Age spots on Black skin: identification and care

True age spots are solar lentigines caused by cumulative ultraviolet exposure. They are flat areas of increased pigment. Black skin can also develop persistent dark marks after acne, eczema, burns, bites or irritating products, so the history behind a mark is central to diagnosis.

Solar lentigines tend to sit on chronically exposed areas and have a defined edge without preceding inflammation. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation appears where the skin was previously inflamed or injured. Melasma more often forms broader, patterned facial patches. These distinctions affect both the likely course and the treatment choice.

Pigmented lesions can show different shades and less obvious redness on Black skin. Assessment should include texture, scale, border, symptoms and change over time. A single unusual spot should not be grouped with familiar marks simply because all appear dark.

Use broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin, supported by hats, sleeves and shade. A tinted formula with iron oxides may be useful when visible light worsens pigmentation. Treat acne or eczema early and avoid scratching, harsh scrubs and unregulated lightening mixtures, since inflammation can deepen discoloration.

For confirmed age spots, a dermatologist may consider topical agents or a pigment-targeting procedure. Chemical peels, cryotherapy, intense pulsed light and lasers require expertise in darker skin because excessive inflammation or energy can leave hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation or textural change. Small-area testing and a gradual plan may help guide treatment selection.

Seek a skin examination if a mark is growing, changing colour or outline, becoming raised, bleeding, repeatedly crusting, causing persistent itch or pain, or remaining open. The need for assessment comes from these changes, not from the overall darkness of the lesion.

After treatment, contact the treating clinic for blistering, worsening pain, discharge or spreading warmth and swelling. Early advice may reduce further inflammation and pigment alteration.

Ask whether the clinician sees solar lentigines or another pigment condition, how the proposed treatment behaves in Black skin, what signs of pigment injury to watch for, and whether a test spot or slower approach would be sensible.