What causes sun spots?

Sun spots, also called solar lentigines or age spots, reflect accumulated light exposure rather than dirt on the skin. Ultraviolet radiation can increase melanin production and create a stable tan, brown, or darker patch. They commonly appear on the face, backs of the hands, shoulders, chest, and forearms. Earlier sunburns and ongoing outdoor exposure can both contribute.

Sun spots are usually flat, but not every dark mark is a sun spot. A new or changing lesion may instead be a mole, an inflamed mark, or a skin cancer. Colour variation, an uneven outline, rapid growth, bleeding, crusting, or persistent itching deserves a professional examination.

Use shade, protective clothing, a hat, and broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed areas. Protection helps reduce further darkening and additional ultraviolet injury, although an existing mark may not fade simply from sun avoidance. Take an occasional clear photograph in consistent lighting so changes in size, border, or colour are easier to notice.

A dermatologist can confirm whether a mark is a sun spot before discussing options such as topical treatment or procedures. Avoid strong bleaching products or home freezing treatments on an undiagnosed lesion, because they can irritate skin and obscure changes that need assessment.

Book a skin assessment for a mark that is new, growing, asymmetric, multicoloured, raised, bleeding, crusted, painful, or persistently itchy. Seek faster medical review if a spot changes noticeably over a short period or fails to heal after becoming sore. Any sudden severe reaction after a skin treatment also warrants advice.

Does this mark have the features of a sun spot? Should it be examined with magnification or sampled? Which protection is practical for my daily routine? If treatment is considered, what side effects and recurrence should I expect?