As we grow old, several other skin growths are very common. These include:

“Age spots” or “liver spots” - These flat, brown areas are called lentigines. They have nothing to do with the liver - they are caused by the sun and usually appear on the face, hands, back and feet. They are generally harmless. They may look like melanoma and therefore may require evaluation. Commercial “fade” creams will not make lentigines disappear, but effective prescription medications and surgical resurfacing treatments are available.

Seborrheic Keratoses - These brown or black raised spots or wart-like growths look like they were stuck on the skin surface. They are not cancerous and are very common in older people. If annoying, they can be easily removed by a dermatologist.

Cherry Angiomas - These are harmless, small, bright red raised bumps created by dilated blood vessels. They occur in more than 85 percent of middle-aged and elderly people, usually on the trunk. Electrocautery, laser surgery, or other surgical therapies remove these spots.

Skin Diseases
Some skin diseases more common in older people are shingles (herpes zoster), seborrheic dermatitis, varicose veins, and leg ulcers.

Shingles/Herpes Zoster - Shingles is an infection of a nerve caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Early symptoms are localized pain, headache, or fatigue. Shingles can affect people of all ages, but is more common (and painful) in older adults.

The virus attacks a nerve root and follows the course of that nerve, causing a line of painful blisters on the scalp, face, trunk, or extremities. The disease almost always affects one side of the body only ands lasts for several weeks. Anti-viral medication can reduce the severity of the attack and reduce the chance of lingering pain afterwards.

Shingles can become serious and cause complications. A dermatologist should be contacted immediately if shingles is suspected, especially if the condition appears near the eyes, as treatments are most effective if started within 3 days of onset.

Seborrheic Dermatitis - The signs of seborrheic dermatitis are redness and greasy-looking “scales” on the skin. Areas of the skin with a high concentration of oil glands, such as the scalp, sides of the nose, eyebrows, eyelids, behind the ears, and the middle of the chest are usually affected. Seborrheic dermatitis occasionally affects other areas such as the navel, breasts, buttocks and skin folds under the arms.

You can visit the skin care experts for a more in-depth review of the top anti-aging creams or the official blog of Dermaxin.