The origin of skin spots

Skin spots affect many women around the world. In fact, in Spain 1 in 3 women have skin spots, and this is mainly due to overexposure to the sun, although there are also other external factors such as pollutants or even the use of some medications, as well as internal factors such as hormonal changes.

Dark spots form because the sun affects our skin and this causes our body to activate natural defence mechanisms that protect us from the sun. To protect us from the sun, melanocytes synthesise melanin, and with cell regeneration, this dark pigment (melanin) comes to the surface, making the spot visible.

What types of skin spots can we find?

• Lentigines: they are small spots that are a similar shape to a lentil which grow over time. Their main cause is overexposure to the sun, so they usually appear in more exposed areas, such as the face, décolletage or the back of the hands. Although they appear with age, their cause is not age, but the accumulation of sun exposure hours and because our skin has a memory, with the passage of time and as sun exposure hours accumulate, lentigines appear.
• Melasma: these are darker and more irregular and generally appear on the face: upper lip, cheeks… They are also known as ’the mask’. This type of skin spot affects women more because they usually originate from hormonal changes such as pregnancy, which in this case is called chloasma, or as a result of using contraceptives.
• Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: these appear when a skin lesion has healed, whether from acne, a wound or a burn. They are dark spots that generally improve over time.
• Ephelides: commonly known as freckles, they are small, flat, light brown spots that appear on the skin, especially after sun exposure. They are local concentrations of pigment, mainly melanin, and are not associated with an increase in the production of melanocytes.