Do you know skin is the biggest organ? It has a surface area of around 2 square metres which means 22 square feet. The skin plays an important role in the human body. It helps to cover the organ and maintain the body temperature. In the world of medicine, skin problems are common. It is so common that there are more than 3000 identified varieties of skin diseases which can cause many symptoms and seem similar in nature. However, some skin problems may be signs of other diseases. You may or may not have heard about liver spots on the skin. Since the name itself has the word ‘liver’, you probably wonder if liver spots mean liver problems.

          Truthfully, liver spots do not mean there are liver problems. They were once called liver spots because in the past it is thought to be caused by liver problems and signs of liver issues. Plus, since the liver spots itself have the colour resembling dark red or brown colour which is the colour of the liver. Not to worry, liver spots definitely are not a sign of liver problems. In fact, the other name for liver spots is senile lentigo or solar lentigo.

          Based on the other name itself, liver spots are actually harmless patches of darkened skin. The name solar lentigo itself means dark skin patch or spots due to exposure of the sun whereas senile lentigo means dark skin patch or spots that is common in the elderly due to the regular sun exposure. The other name for liver spots is lentigines, old age spot or senile freckle. We will be using the term liver spots instead to make it easy for you to understand and not confused with the many names it has.

          Liver spots appear as a flat patch with either brown or black spots appearing on the skin exposed to the sun. It is common to see liver spots on the face and the back of the hand but it can be found in almost any part of the body, especially sun-exposed areas. It can be round, oval or irregular in shape. The colour may vary from skin-coloured to dark brown, tan or black in colour. The size also varies from a few millimetres to several centimetres in diameter. The spots may seem a bit scaly.

          In general, liver spots are totally normal for those aged 40 and above. A person that is fair skinned and exposed to sun exposure a lot will have high risk for developing liver spots. Liver spots are harmless but because it could resemble other serious skin issues like skin cancer such as melanoma or lentigo maligna, it is best to always be careful and pay close attention to the liver spots. Signs of skin spots that get very dark, rapidly gets bigger within short period, the spot have irregular, blurry or uneven border, spots with many different colours, spots with changing texture over time and discomfort symptoms such as itching, tenderness, bleeding or redness without apparent reasons, should be getting medical advice as this could be a serious skin problems such as skin cancers and possibly harm your life if left untreated.

          Liver spots are usually diagnosed based on its appearance. Doctors may use a dermatoscope to magnify the skin lesions and help them examine the skin area closely. In certain cases where the liver spots are unsure or may be similar with other skin cancer, skin biopsy may be performed by taking a small sample of the skin to be examined in the laboratory for histological examination. While waiting for results, the suspected liver spots may be known as atypical solar lentigo.

          Since liver spots are harmless, treatments are not a must and, in many cases, liver spots will continue to grow and not cause any health concerns. However, some may actually resort to getting treatment for cosmetic purposes. There are many options available to help reduce the appearance of the liver spots. Among the treatments are laser treatment, cryotherapy, dermabrasion, chemical peel and skin creams such as steroid, retinoid and bleaching creams. Treatments solely depend on the person’s expectation and some treatments can be more costly than others. It is best to discuss with a dermatologist on what is the best treatment suits best. Since liver spots itself is caused by the ageing process itself and skin pigmentation, it is best to minimise chances of the reappearance of the liver spot after treatments by using sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.

          Apart from knowing what signs that could possibly be skin cancer, knowing the risk factor for the skin cancers itself can help you understand if you do have a high chance of developing one. Risk factors include those with fair skin, naturally light-coloured hair such as red or blond, family history of skin cancer, history of serious sunburns or prolonged exposure to sun or large number of moles all over the body. Should you have any of the risk factors, you should schedule for full-body skin screening and take extra precautions by performing self-checks from head-to-toe more often.

          In essence, liver spots are definitely not associated with liver problems. It is a harmless skin condition that appears in those aged 40 and above, especially in those with fair skin. Since liver spots may resemble skin cancers, it is best to meet a doctor if you are unsure of the skin condition. The best way to prevent liver spots is to regularly use sunscreen. Make sure to apply sunscreen for 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every 2 hours. For more sun protection, you may wear a hat to cover the head, sunglasses covering eyes and lip products such as lip balm containing SPF.

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