All about lentigo: types, causes, ways to eliminate

The appearance of age spots on the body and face is associated with a lot of cosmetic inconvenience. There are various forms of manifestation of pigmentation, which may indicate the presence of internal problems in the body. One of the forms of skin pigmentation is lentigo. Estet-portal.com will tell about the features of appearance, places of localization, causes of appearance, types of lentigo in this article. We will also describe effective ways to get rid of lentigo, which modern cosmetology offers.

What is lentigo and who gets these age spots

Lentigo – one of the varieties of age spots, which most often take a round or oblong oval shape. Coloring lentigo – shades of brown, and the size of the spots slightly protruding above the surface of the skin varies from a few millimeters to a couple of centimeters.

Lentigo appears on various parts of the body, as well as on the mucous membranes. Such age spots can appear in any person, but more often lentigo appears on fair skin. Depending on the type of lentigo, such pigmentation may appear immediately after birth, in childhood, in adolescence and in old age.

On average, there are up to 30 mild lentigo spots on the body of an adult.

Immediately after the appearance of the lentigo shade is lighter, but over the years these formations gradually darken.

Next, estet-portal.com will tell you more about:

• Lentigo species;
• treatment of lentigo;
• Lentigo Prevention.

The main types of lentigo: solar, senile, youthful

There are three main varieties of lentigo:

1. sunny;
2. senile;
3. youthful.

Solar Lentigo

This type of pigmentation is considered the most common form of lentigo. Such pigmentation appears on areas of the skin exposed to prolonged exposure to sunlight. Localizations of solar lentigo are:

• hands and palms;
• upper back;
• face and neck;
• décolleté;
• legs.

The size of the spots of the solar lentigo, as a rule, does not exceed 5 mm in diameter. The shade of brown in this type of lentigo can sometimes be very dark, almost black.

Lentigo solar and senile lentigo used to be combined into one, but due to the increasing popularity of tanning and solariums, such pigmentation is increasingly appearing in young people, therefore it was decided to separate solar lentigo into a separate category.

senile lentigo

The appearance of senile lentigo is due to a combination of prolonged sun exposure and age-related changes in the body of an elderly person. The older the patient, the darker the shade of age spots, and the greater their number and size. Very often, the intense appearance of senile lentigo is preceded by menopause, during which the body undergoes hormonal changes.

Most often, such pigmentation appears on the face and hands, and its characteristic features are a rather large size (up to 1 cm), multiple formations and blurring of the boundaries.

Juvenile (simple) lentigo

The cause of the simple form of lentigo is unknown, but this pigmentation is not due to sun exposure. The diameter of such pigmented formations ranges from 3 to 15 mm. Possible places where – skin and mucous membranes.

This type of lentigo is not associated with the presence of diseases and does not develop into malignant tumors. Such spots appear in childhood or after birth.

Potential hazards and treatments for lentigo

Lentigo, like a mole, in some cases can develop into malignant tumors. If the lentigo is likely to transform into a malignant tumor, such lentigo is called lentigo melanoma.

Since it is almost impossible to determine the type of pigmented growth on your own, if you suspect the presence of lentigo, you should consult a dermatologist who can make an accurate diagnosis and determine how safe the neoplasm is.

After that, you can choose the appropriate treatment for lentigo:

1. Photorejuvenation. With lentigo, an average wavelength of 515-560 nm is used. Exfoliation of the pigment spot occurs after about two to three weeks. During this time, from 3 to 6 sessions are carried out, depending on the intensity of pigmentation.
2. Laser peeling. Depending on the degree of compaction of the epidermis, medium or superficial laser peeling is used at the site of the stain formation.
3. Chemical Peeling. They are used for a large number of age spots, but only for their shallow occurrence and slight compaction.
4. Dermabrasion. This method is used to remove deep single age spots.
5. Mesotherapy. The pigment spot is illuminated due to the effect of fruit acids on it.

After removing lentigo, there is no guarantee that age spots will not reappear, so it is recommended to take care of the prevention of lentigo.

Lentigo prevention: what to do so that age spots do not return?

It will not be possible to protect yourself 100% from the appearance of lentigo, however, you can significantly reduce the risk of such age spots due to simple preventive measures:

• avoid prolonged sun exposure;
• Limit tanning beds;
• Protect your skin with special products with SPF;
• give up bad habits;
• eat right;
• visit a dermatologist regularly.

And remember: if the lentigo begins to grow in size, itch, change color or shape, do not delay visiting a specialist – any skin lesions that cause discomfort or concern require the attention of a dermatologist!