Symptoms

Skin discolorations can be pale brown or dark brown in colour. The tone of a person’s skin may affect the hue of black patches. The patches are not unpleasant and have the same texture as the surrounding skin.

Dark spots can appear on any region of the body and come in a variety of sizes, although they are more prevalent in locations that are frequently exposed to the sun.

These places are prone to dark spots:

• Behind the hands
• Face
• Back
• Shoulders

Causes

Dark spots can have a variety of reasons, which we list here:

Sun Fading

People can develop dark spots on their skin as a result of exposure to the sun or tanning beds. These spots are also known as liver spots, solar lentigines, or sunspots.

Sun spots are more likely to appear on parts of the body that are exposed to the sun the most, such as the face, hands, or arms.

Hormone Adjustments

Small patches of skin discolouration are a symptom of the skin disorder melasma. Women are more likely to have the illness, particularly during pregnancy.

Hormones may cause melasma, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Side Effects of Medication

Dark patches on the skin might result from some drugs’ increased skin pigmentation. Tetracyclines, psychiatric medicines, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the main offenders.

Inflammation

Following an episode of skin inflammation, dark patches may form. Eczema, psoriasis, skin injuries, acne, and other conditions can all cause inflammation.

Wound Recovery

After an insect bite, burn, or wound has healed, dark patches could still be present. They could disappear with time.

Irritation

Cosmetic skin care or hair products can irritate the skin and lead to the development of dark spots.

Diabetes

Diabetes can make some skin pigmentations darker.

Diabetes-related conditions include acanthosis nigricans, which results in velvety, dark skin, and shin patches or diabetic dermopathy, which some people mistake for ageing spots.

Diagnosis

By looking at the spots and collecting a medical history, a doctor or dermatologist can frequently determine the reason of black spots on the skin.

The medical practitioner may do a Wood’s lamp skin exam during a physical examination, which involves looking at the spots with a specialized black light source.

In rare cases, a spot’s unique features may call for further testing to rule out skin cancer as the cause.

We hope that we have made you understand the intricacies of dark spots and how you can now identify them on the basis of their causes.

To know more about what are dark spots, you can read some articles here.