What is Solar Lentigo?
Solar lentigo is a skin condition characterized by dark lesions on the skin. This condition manifests when you expose yourself to sun and artificial ultra violet radiations.
Solar lentigo is also known as liver spots, senile freckle and lentigo senilis. The solar lentigo lesions are not malignant but may promote development of skin cancer due to excess exposure to ultra violet radiations.
Symptoms
Solar lentigo normally occurs on the areas of your body that are exposed to the sun and artificial ultra violet radiations. People affected with solar lentigo manifest the following main symptoms:
- Solar lentigo affects your skin by causing appearance of dark lesions. In some people these lesions may seem light.
- The lesions caused by this condition may occur in your hands, chest, neck, face and arm. The lesions appear in these areas of your body as flat marks.
Risk Factors
Some factors may promote the development of solar lentigo on your skin. These factors include:
Staying outdoor for a long duration
Solar lentigo is more prevalent in people who spend a lot of time outdoor especially swimmers. Swimmers stay outdoor wearing swimwear clothing that cover a small area of their body hence exposing many parts of their body to sun. Solar lentigo affects chest and back of swimmers.
Causes
Solar lentigo is caused by the following factors:
Ultra violet radiation
Exposing yourself to the sun rays for longer periods may lead to solar lentigo. Ultra violet radiations from the sun are very harmful and damage your skin leading to formation of lentigo on your skin.
Age
Age also is considered as a cause of solar lentigo. The capacity of your skin to renew itself depends on age.
For older people above the age of 40, their skins have limited capability to restore when exposed to ultra violet radiations. This elevates their chances of developing a solar lentigo on their skin.
Diagnosis
This condition is diagnosed through a physical assessment of your skin. Your doctor examines your skin by looking for dark, light brown and flat spots. People with solar lentigo usually have lighter skin than those with sunburns.
In some cases, your doctor may conduct a skin biopsy in order to distinguish the symptoms of solar lentigo and melanocytic lesions.
Your doctor may also take a sample of your skin and analyze it in the laboratory to determine the cause of the condition.
Treatment
Solar lentigo can be treated through the following procedures:
1.Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is a type of treatment method that involves use of low temperatures to eliminate abnormal cells on your body. In this method, your doctor puts a probe with nitrogen oxide liquid on the solar lentigo lesion on your skin.
These freezing temperatures help to reduce pain and minimize swellings of solar lentigo lesions. Cryotherapy is more effective in treating solar lentigo lesions in people with light complexion.
2.Laser therapy
Laser therapy is a form of a treatment that uses light of various wavelengths to treat many medical conditions. In this procedure your doctor will direct light to the solar lentigo lesion on your skin.
As the cells in the affected area absorb light, the pain and swellings are reduced. This method is effective than traditional methods because it is less painful. However, laser therapy is more expensive as compared to other methods.
3.Topical therapy
Solar lentigo lesions can also be treated with topical solution. The topical solution is made through a combination of mequinol and tretinoin. Mequinol and tretinoin solution will reduce dark spots on your skin. This topical therapy solution is applied directly on your skin.
Alternatively, you can also apply a mixture of tretinoin and hydroquinone cream on dark spots on your skin to cure it.
4.Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)
Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution can also be used to treat solar lentigo lesions especially in people with a dark complexion.
5.Chemical peel
Chemical peel is used to enhance how your skin appears. In chemical peeling procedure, your doctor applies a chemical solution on the solar lentigo lesion on your skin to remove the dark sports. After this treatment, your skin becomes smooth and with less wrinkles.
This treatment can be applied on your hands, face and neck. However, chemical peel is more sensitive to sun and you should put on sunscreens to prevent the chemical from reacting with sunrays. This reaction may lead serious skin complications.
6.Natural Remedies
People with solar lentigo can also use simple natural remedies to prevent this condition. The following are some of natural remedies you can use at home to treat solar lentigo:
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is effective in eliminating dark spots and burns on your skin. Take a fresh juice or aloe Vera gel and apply it on dark spots on your skin. Repeat this twice everyday for at least a month to allow the dark spots on your skin to disappear completely.
Chick peas
Chick peas are also good in removing solar lentigo lesions on your skin. To prepare chick peas, smash some chick peas and add water and mix the mixture well.
Then apply little mixture on solar lentigo lesions on your skin and leave it to dry. Then rinse it off with water at night. Do this once every day in the evening for at least a month.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice is excellent in removing dark spots on your skin. Take a fresh lemon juice and rub it on the solar lentigo lesions on your skin. Do this daily for at least a month.
Vitamin E oil
Take vitamin E oil and rub it on the solar lentigo lesion on your skin. Rub vitamin E oil once daily for at least a month in order to completely remove the dark spots on your skin.
Prevention
People can protect themselves against exposure to ultra violet radiations from the sun by doing the following:
- Putting on clothes that cover your completely
- Wearing sunscreen when going out when the sun is very bright. You can also carry an umbrella when the sun is hot to protect you against direct sun rays.
Images
Reference List
- http://www.primehealthchannel.com/solar-lentigo.html
- Chemical peels. http://www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-procedures-chemical-peel-treatments#1
- Laser therapy. http://www.healthline.com/health/laser-therapy#overview1
- http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1068503-treatment#d9
- https://www.skinsight.com/skin-conditions/adult/solar-lentigo
- https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/solar-lentigo/
- https://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/solar_lentigo_picture/picture.htm
- www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/skintumormelanocyticsolarlentigo.html
- https://www.healthline.com/health/lentigo
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentigo
