Types and causes of spots, the 8 most common causes of spots

In life, many female friends will have deep and shallow spots on their fair skin, which makes many women feel very insecure about their appearance and think that spots are ugly. But why do spots appear on our faces? If we want to stay away from spots, we must understand the types of spots and the reasons for their formation. Let’s take a closer look at it below.

1. Freckles:

99% of it is caused by genetics and is formed between the ages of 5 and 6. It is relatively common in Caucasians, but it is also common in Asians. The age of onset is usually before puberty, and light brown spots about 1 to 2 nm in size appear on sun-exposed areas. The size, number and pigment depth of the spots increase in summer and improve in winter.

2. Melasma:

Also known as butterfly spots and liver spots, they are light brown and flaky in shape. The spots vary in size, have clear boundaries, irregular shapes, and do not protrude above the skin. They are commonly seen on the face, symmetrical on the cheeks. The main cause is related to endocrine and female hormone disorders.

3. Sunburn:

As the name suggests, it is caused by sun exposure, so it often occurs in middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s, both men and women, but some people have it as early as their 20s and 30s. Clinically, sun spots are clearly defined brown-black spots that can range in size from a sesame seed to a ten-yuan coin. The most common sites are the face, back of the hands, back, chest, upper and lower limbs, but the lesions on the face are larger and more obvious.

4. Age spots:

The scientific name is seborrheic keratosis. After middle age, it may occur not only on the parts exposed to the sun (face, hands, calves) but also on the scalp, back, chest and abdomen. However, the number of cases depends on personal constitution. Generally speaking, people who are exposed to the sun are more likely to develop it.

5. Pregnancy spots (pregnancy spots):

They appear during pregnancy but disappear after delivery. Since the time when dark spots are formed is very close to the age at pregnancy, some people will also develop dark spots at the same time as pregnancy spots, so some people mistakenly believe that they are caused by pregnancy and delivery.

6. Mercury spots:

Some people have dark spots on their skin and don't know how to protect themselves. They use some whitening products based on hearsay, but these products have not been tested to see if they contain mercury. Although they can temporarily whiten your skin, residual mercury and toxins will cause greater damage to the skin and even harm the kidneys. Some unscrupulous manufacturers will add mercury into whitening creams. The bleaching effect will be very obvious in the short term. However, if used for a long time, the mercury element will be deposited in the skin, causing the skin to become darker, which is commonly known as "mercury spots".

7. Melanin:

Melanin is produced by melanocytes located in the basal cell layer between the epidermis and dermis of the skin.

8. Mongolian spots:

At birth, there are light blue spots on the body, especially on the buttocks and lower back, like "black blues and bruises" from a bump. They usually disappear completely before the age of four and do not require treatment.