Black Age Spots: When to Have Them Checked

Age spots, also called solar lentigines, are flat areas of extra pigment that often develop on sun-exposed skin. They may range from tan to dark brown. The label “age spot” should not be assumed for a mark that looks distinctly black, has changed, or differs from nearby spots, because several skin growths can share that appearance.

A dermatologist considers when the mark appeared, whether it is evolving, its border and colour pattern, and how it looks under magnification. Typical sun spots are commonly flat, sharply outlined, and found on areas with accumulated sun exposure, such as the face and backs of the hands. Seborrhoeic keratoses, moles, post-inflammatory pigmentation, and skin cancer can overlap in colour or shape.

No home photograph or colour description can reliably settle the diagnosis. A clinician may compare the mark with the rest of your skin and, when its features are uncertain, discuss sampling it rather than treating it as pigmentation.

Use broad-spectrum sunscreen, shade, a hat, and protective clothing to limit further darkening from ultraviolet exposure. Keep a dated photograph with a ruler beside the mark so that genuine change is easier to recognize. Do not bleach, freeze, peel, or laser a suspicious mark at home.

Once a clinician confirms a benign sun spot, options may include a chemical peel, light-based treatment, pigment-targeting laser, or cryotherapy. The choice depends on skin tone, the depth of pigment, location, healing tendency, and the risk of lighter or darker marks after treatment. Sun protection remains useful because treatment does not prevent other spots from forming.

Book a prompt skin assessment if a spot is new, enlarging, becoming darker, developing mixed colours or an irregular edge, or looking unlike your other marks. Bleeding, crusting, persistent itching, tenderness, or a sore that fails to heal also deserves review. These features do not establish cancer, but they are reasons for examination before any pigment-removing procedure.

Ask what diagnosis fits the mark, whether magnified examination is sufficient, and whether a sample is needed before treatment. If it is benign, discuss which approach suits your skin tone, what pigment changes or scarring could follow, and how recurrence or new sun spots should be monitored.