What’s the difference between age spots and freckles? Well there is a slight difference, but the truth is not much.
Freckles are seen mostly on people with fair complexions. Freckles are light tan to brown and are made up of melanin. They are mainly caused by the sun but can be inherited and are mostly seen on younger children and teens on the face. They usually fade in adulthood, although not all freckles fade. Freckles are absolutely harmless. If however you have freckles you probably have very fair skin without a good amount of melanin for good sun protection so sunscreens and sun protection are vital for good health.
Age spots or liver spots on the other hand are flat pigmentated spots which look similar to freckles. These are most often seen on sun-exposed skin after age 40, usually on the face, shoulders, neck, ear or back of the hands. While freckles are mainly on the top of the skin, age spots are melanocytes which means they come from the layers below. You can damage your skin and not see the age spot for many years, hence the fact that they are called Age spots rather than sun spots.
Both freckles and age spots are benign. They are really nothing to worry about. However, they can be unsightly and reveal your true age. So, there are creams and laser treatments you can use to remove age spots and fade them.
