What are raised age spots?
Have you noticed raised brown spots on the skin? The raised brown spots on the hands or face are commonly referred to as raised age spots (also known as raised liver spots/sunspots or seborrheic keratosis) and are a type of hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation means that there is an excess of pigment in the skin, which causes certain areas to be darker than the natural skin tone. Hyperpigmentation can be caused by acne scarring, inflammation, or hormones, but the main cause is sun damage. Thus, raised age spots normally develop on areas of sun-exposed skin and tend to be light brown to black in color (Choi). A common question is “Are age spots raised?”— the answer being that age spots can be flat or raised (Vann). They start off flat and can turn raised with increased ultraviolet light exposure (Braun). Raised age spots can be round, oval, or irregularly shaped and range from a few millimeters to a few centimeters in diameter (Braun). Raised age spots typically affect those who are 40 years or older due to years of accumulated sun exposure, but they can also show up on the skin of younger people who spend a majority of their time in the sun. Additionally, while raised age spots affect both light and dark-skinned individuals, they tend to be more frequent in light-skinned individuals, whose skin is more sensitive to sun exposure (Chan).