Are Age Spots Cancerous?
Age spots are not cancerous.
More Info: Lentigines, better known as liver or age spots, are not cancerous nor do they lead to cancer. That doesn't mean that they should be ignored. It's not the age spot that's harmful, it's the misdiagnosis of the age spot that is.
What Are Age Spots?
The term age spots is actually a misnomer as anybody of any age can get them. You can be predisposed to them through heredity and you can also get them as you age through sun exposure. Age spots are a buildup of melanin, which is the skin's response to sun exposure. Melanin turns the skin brown to protect against sun damage but can begin to clump as you age resulting in a dark spot on the skin.
Why You Should Have Age Spots Checked
The reason that you should have age spots checked by your doctor even though age spots are not cancerous nor do they lead to cancer is that skin cancer can be mistaken for an age spot by the untrained eye. Skin cancer that is not detected early.
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery"Liver spots and aging hands information"http://www.asds.net
MayoClinic"Age spots (liver spots): Causes"http://www.mayoclinic.com
"Are Age Spots Cancerous?." Sophisticated Edge. N.p., n.d. Web. . <http://www.sophisticatededge.com/are-age-spots-cancerous.html>.
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