Solar lentigines are discrete, bounded collections of pigment produced by cumulative ultraviolet exposure. Unlike melasma, they are stable and removable.
Book an assessment →Age spots, also called sun spots or solar lentigines, are flat brown patches with clear edges caused by years of sun exposure. They are harmless and usually lighten well with a pigment laser such as a picosecond or Q-switched laser, often in one to three sessions. New spots can still form, so daily sunscreen is part of the plan.
Localised increase in melanocyte activity and melanin deposition at the dermo-epidermal junction, with clearly defined borders that do not shift with hormonal state.
The distinction from melasma is the single most useful thing to establish. A lentigo has an edge you can trace; melasma has a patterned distribution that fades into surrounding skin. Treating melasma as a lentigo makes it worse.
Border definition, symmetry, distribution across sun-exposed sites, Fitzpatrick type, and whether any lesion looks atypical.
Pigment-selective laser at appropriate wavelength and fluence. Because lentigines are bounded and epidermal, they generally respond in fewer sessions than melasma.
Any pigmented lesion with an irregular border, uneven colour or recent change is examined before it is treated as a sunspot.
After the spots are confirmed as lentigines, treatment is usually a pigment-selective laser such as a picosecond laser. The spot typically darkens for a few days and then flakes away; aftercare is gentle cleansing and strict sun protection. The treatment itself is described on the age spot removal in Singapore page.
In Asian skin the main risk is temporary darkening after treatment (post-inflammatory pigmentation). Settings, test areas and pre-treatment sun protection are chosen to reduce that risk.
Some spots lighten after one session; others need more. A systematic review of lentigo treatments found laser and light-based approaches among the most studied options, with results varying between people and devices.
“A sun spot has an edge you can trace. If the edge blurs into the skin around it, it is treated as something else.”
Solar lentigines are discrete, bounded collections of pigment produced by cumulative ultraviolet exposure. Unlike melasma, they are stable and removable.
The distinction from melasma is the single most useful thing to establish. A lentigo has an edge you can trace; melasma has a patterned distribution that fades into surrounding skin. Treating melasma as a lentigo makes it worse.
Border definition, symmetry, distribution across sun-exposed sites, Fitzpatrick type, and whether any lesion looks atypical.
Any pigmented lesion with an irregular border, uneven colour or recent change is examined before it is treated as a sunspot.
No. Sun spots are individual, clearly edged spots. Melasma is a patchy, symmetrical pigment that blends into the skin and is treated more gently, because aggressive laser can worsen it.
Often yes, but the plan changes. Melasma is brought under control first, laser energy is kept low, and spot treatment is kept away from melasma patches so the heat does not flare them.
Every assessment at IN Eternity Clinic is carried out personally by Medical Director Dr Sin Yong at 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza. If the honest answer is that treatment should wait, you will be told that.
WhatsApp the clinic →These three are treated very differently, so naming them correctly comes first:
| Age spot (solar lentigo) | Melasma | Freckles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it appears | Adulthood, after years of sun | Adulthood, often hormonal | Childhood |
| Edges | Sharp, traceable | Blurred, patchy | Small, sharp dots |
| Pattern | Scattered on sun-exposed sites | Symmetrical on both cheeks or forehead | Clusters on nose and cheeks |
| With less sun | Stays the same | Lightens a little | Fades noticeably |
| Laser response | Usually good, few sessions | Slow; gentle laser only, with medicines | Good, but returns with sun |
Many people have more than one. See melasma and freckles for those conditions.
Both work by shattering pigment in very short pulses. The DEKA TORO offers Q-switched 532 nm and 1064 nm alongside a 785 nm picosecond wavelength (T2 Frax Radiance), and the Fotona StarWalker PQX provides picosecond and Q-switched pulses (R2 Glow). Picosecond pulses deliver less heat, which can lower the risk of post-inflammatory darkening in Asian skin.
After treatment, each spot darkens and forms a fine crust that lifts in about a week. In some people the area then darkens temporarily for two to eight weeks before clearing; this is managed with sunscreen and, where needed, a lightening cream. Thicker, slightly raised spots may in fact be early seborrhoeic keratoses and respond better to a different method. Compare options in pico vs Q-switched vs laser toning.
Age spots are a record of past sun; new ones form with future sun. In Singapore the UV index is high all year, so the plan is daily rather than seasonal: a broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen every morning, reapplied at midday and after sweating or swimming, with a hat and shade outdoors.
Two places are often missed. The backs of the hands collect age spots from driving and walking, so sunscreen goes there too. Long-wave UVA passes through car side windows, which is why spots are often more marked on the side facing the window. An annual skin check lets new spots be treated while they are small and confirms none of them looks unusual.
Solar lentigines themselves are harmless. They do show that the skin has had significant sun exposure, which is linked to skin cancer risk, so they are a reason to look at the whole skin. Any spot that is changing, irregular in border or colour, or different from the others is examined before it is treated cosmetically.
Many flat age spots lighten noticeably after one session; darker or larger ones may need two or three sessions about four to six weeks apart. Spots on the hands and body sometimes need more than those on the face. Dr Sin Yong gives an estimate after examining the spots.
A treated spot often stays lighter for a long time, but new spots can form and treated areas can darken again with ongoing sun. Daily sunscreen and shade are what keep the result. Many people return for a short touch-up session every year or two.
Yes. Hand age spots are treated with the same pigment lasers, often with slightly different settings because the skin is thinner and heals more slowly. Recovery can take a little longer than on the face, and sunscreen on the backs of the hands afterwards is essential.
Cost depends on the number and size of spots, the areas treated (face, hands or both), the laser chosen and how many sessions are likely. A few spots cost less to treat than a full face of sun damage. The plan and cost are explained after assessment at IN Eternity Clinic.
These sources describe mechanisms and general evidence. They are not a promise of any individual result; suitability is decided at an in-person assessment.