WHY DO I HAVE BROWN SPOTS ON MY FACE?

London Dermatology | 12 August 2024

Your skin’s over synthesis of melanin is what causes brown patches. The pigment called melanin is responsible for the colour of your skin, hair, and eyes. Melanocytes are the cells that make it. Melanocytes can be compared to sponges that absorb sunlight. Your sponges will get more saturated with melanin the more ultraviolet (UV) radiation your skin receives. Dark-skinned people do not have more melanocytes than other people. The quantity of melanocytes in our skin is similar in those with light and dark complexion. The melanosomes, which are pigment-containing organelles, are different in dark-skinned individuals because they are bigger, more numerous, and more coloured.

To make this quite simple, there are four main reasons that you would see brown spots on your skin:

• Sun exposure
• Hormonal changes
• Genetics
• Age

Brown spots, medically referred to as solar lentigo (lentigines plural), are a typical aspect of skin ageing. Dermatologists like to refer to them as “wisdom spots” since we accumulate more of them as we age and become smarter. Many people refer to them as “age spots” or “liver spots.” Sun damage causes these patches to appear. You must have used tanning beds or neglected to use sunscreen on occasion in the past. You may have also enjoyed sunbathing a little too much.