Why do I have brown blotches on my arms?
Age spots, which are sometimes called liver spots or solar lentigines, happen after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, says dermatologist Amy Kassouf, MD. They can be tan, brown or black, vary in size and usually appear on the areas most exposed to the sun such as the face, hands, shoulders and arms.
What deficiency causes brown spots on skin?
According to a 2008 study, a deficiency in vitamin B12 can cause skin discoloration such as brown spots. This discoloration can occur even if no other symptoms are present. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause “hyper-pigmentation”—this is a condition in which patches of skin become darker.
Why is there a brown splotch on my skin?
Brown spots are caused by the overproduction of melanin in your skin. Melanin is the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes their color. It is produced by cells called melanocytes. Think of melanocytes as sponges that soak up sunlight.
What are the brown scaly patches on my skin?
A seborrheic keratosis (seb-o-REE-ik ker-uh-TOE-sis) is a common noncancerous (benign) skin growth. People tend to get more of them as they get older. Seborrheic keratoses are usually brown, black or light tan. The growths (lesions) look waxy or scaly and slightly raised.
When should I be worried about brown spots on my skin?
Age spots don’t require medical care. Have your doctor look at spots that are black or have changed in appearance. These changes can be signs of melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer.
What do liver spots look like on your arms?
The condition involves the appearance of pale brown to dark brown spots on the skin called solar lentigines, liver spots, or age spots. Age spots are flat, usually oval areas of the skin that have increased pigmentation. In other words, they’re darker than the surrounding skin. They may be brown, black, or gray.
Can B12 deficiency cause brown spots?
The hyperpigmentation related to vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in darker-skinned patients. Few other cases of skin hyperpigmentation due to vitamin B12 deficiency have been reported in the literature. The mechanism of hyperpigmentation is due to increased melanin synthesis rather than a defect in melanin.
What vitamin helps to get rid of brown spots?
vitamin C
Which vitamins can help reduce brown spots? Several vitamins have long been recognized as being useful for treating hyperpigmentation in daily life and are present in many cosmetics. These include vitamin E, also called tocopherol, and vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid.
Can brown spots just appear?
Solar lentigo.
This type is common in people over age 40, but younger people can get it, too. It happens when UV radiation causes pigmented cells called melanocytes in the skin to multiply. Solar lentigo appears on sun-exposed areas of the body, like the face, hands, shoulders, and arms. The spots may grow over time.
Can brown spots be cancerous?
These small, gray-brown spots aren’t a type of skin cancer. They also don’t progress to become skin cancer and don’t require any treatment. But if you notice any rapid changes to one of these spots, get it checked out by your doctor right away. When performing a self-check, you’ll want to remember the ABCDE rule.
What keratosis looks like?
What do actinic keratoses look like? AKs often appear as small dry, scaly or crusty patches of skin. They may be red, light or dark tan, white, pink, flesh-toned or a combination of colors and are sometimes raised. Because of their rough texture, actinic keratoses are often easier to feel than see.
Does liver damage cause brown spots?
Liver spots are flat, brown or black spots that can appear on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun. They have nothing to do with the liver or liver function. Lentigos, sometimes called age spots or freckles, are a result of cumulative damage to the skin by sunlight.
What do age spots look like on your arms?
Age spots look like oval or round flat brown, tan or black splotches on the skin. They are usually smooth to the touch and uniform in color. They vary in size from a few millimeters to two centimeters. Some patients have just a few, while others may have hundreds on their skin.
Which vitamin causes dark spots?
B12 deficiency: Those on a strict vegan diet sometimes experience skin problems, one of which is hyperpigmentation. That’s because plant-based foods are deficient in the vital vitamin B 12. When there is a deficiency of this vital micronutrient, the skin starts darkening unnaturally.
Does a vitamin deficiency cause dark spots?
The hyperpigmentation related to vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in darker-skinned patients. Few other cases of skin hyperpigmentation due to vitamin B12 deficiency have been reported in the literature.
How do I get rid of age spots on my arms?
Age spot treatments include:
- Medications. Applying prescription bleaching creams (hydroquinone) alone or with retinoids (tretinoin) and a mild steroid might gradually fade the spots over several months.
- Laser and intense pulsed light.
- Freezing (cryotherapy).
- Dermabrasion.
- Microdermabrasion.
- Chemical peel.
What is the protein needed for dark spots?
Skin, eye and hair pigmentation requires a delicate balance of acidity within the cellular compartments where melanin is made – that balance is partly regulated, scientists now know, by a protein called TPC2.
What do cancerous sun spots look like?
The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred. The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue. The spot is larger than ¼ inch across – about the size of a pencil eraser – although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
What does Stage 1 melanoma look like?
Stage IA Melanoma: The melanoma tumor is less than 1.0 millimeter thick (less than the size of a sharpened pencil point) with or without ulceration (broken skin) when viewed under the microscope. Stage IB Melanoma: The melanoma tumor is more than 1.0 millimeter and less than 2.0 millimeters thick without ulceration.
What do precancerous skin spots look like?
Visible signs of precancerous skin
While patches can vary in particulars, some of the signs include: Crustiness or bleeding. Diameter of less than one inch. Discoloration, often appearing brown, pink, gray, red, yellow, or white.
What are signs that your liver is struggling?
Liver problems
- Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
- Abdominal pain and swelling.
- Swelling in the legs and ankles.
- Itchy skin.
- Dark urine color.
- Pale stool color.
- Chronic fatigue.
- Nausea or vomiting.
What do liver spots look like on the arms?
Liver spots may: Appear on your face, hands, neck or arms. Be dark brown or tan. Group in one spot, similar to a patch of freckles.
Can iron deficiency cause dark spots?
Background — Melasma is a chronic acquired localized hypermelanosis, causing aesthetic problem for women and impairing their quality of life. Evidence has suggested that hyperpigmentation can occur as a result of iron deficiency anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency.
Does vitamin B12 deficiency cause dark spots?
Reversible skin hyperpigmentation is one of the pigmentary changes associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. It is observed in patients with megaloblastic, non-pernicious anaemia, mainly in those with dark-coloured skin (1–3).
Can age spots be cancerous?
These spots are called “actinic lentigines,” which are more commonly referred to as sun spots, age spots, or liver spots. These small, gray-brown spots aren’t a type of skin cancer. They also don’t progress to become skin cancer and don’t require any treatment.
How to get rid of brown spots on arms?
Use one of the recommended moisturizers daily for four to six weeks.
How do you remove brown spots from Your Arms?
– Break a leaf off of 1 aloe vera plant, cut it open and extract the gel. – Use the gel to rub onto your age spots. – Let it soak into your skin for at least 60 minutes. You can then wash your skin off. – Repeat 2 times per day.
What is the best treatment for brown spots?
– Commit to a skincare regimen for at least one month. The topical options you use at home can really work, but “any at-home age spot-fading skincare product, like a serum, – Wear SPF. – Head to the derm.
What are the dark spots on Your Arms?
Sun. Unprotected exposure to sunlight is one of the most common reasons spots can develop on your shoulders and arms.