Seniors

Age spots, or liver spots, as they are often called, have nothing to do with the liver. Rather, these flat, brown spots are caused by years of sun exposure. They are bigger than freckles and appear in fair-skinned people on sun-exposed areas such as the face, hands, arms, back, and feet. The medical name for them is solar lentigo. They may be accompanied by wrinkling, dryness, thinning of the skin, and rough spots.

A number of treatments are available, including skin-lightening, or fade creams; cryotherapy (freezing); and laser therapy. Tretinoin cream is approved for reducing the appearance of darkened spots. A sunscreen or sun block should be used to prevent further damage.

Bruising

Most bruises form when small blood vessels (capillaries) near your skin's surface are broken by the impact of a blow or injury. When this happens, blood leaks out of the vessels and initially appears as a bluish-black mark. Eventually your body reabsorbs the blood and the mark disappears.

If you bruise easily, a minor bump -- one you may not even notice -- can result in substantial discoloration. Your arms and legs are typical locations for bruises. Sometimes bruising is caused by medications or illness. If bruising occurs in areas always covered by clothing, see a doctor.

In some cases bruising may indicate something more serious, such as a blood-clotting problem or a blood disease. See your doctor if:

• You have unusually large or painful bruises, particularly if your bruises seem to develop for no known reason
• You're bruising easily and you're experiencing abnormal bleeding elsewhere, such as from your nose, gums or intestinal tract
• You have no history of bruising but suddenly experience bruises, particularly if you recently started a new medication