What can that spot on the face be?

They begin to manifest themselves around the age of fifty and can create embarrassment. It’s the spots on the face. A correct lifestyle and some simple precautions can prevent and slow down its appearance.

“From a tear on my face I understood many things,” says a famous Bobby Solo song. But if we do not see tears on the face, but spots, what should we think?

First of all, we must ask ourselves how old we are, if we are pregnant or in menopause (in the case of the fair sex), how long and how we have been exposed to sunlight. Age, hormonal imbalances and sun exposure are in fact the three factors that most influence the appearance of spots on the skin of our face.

The spots on the face, however, can also derive from other factors, more or less serious. For example, from contact with some substances contained in cosmetic products that make the skin photosensitive, or from some inflammatory, hepatic or degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

It’s a matter of skin…

The skin is the tissue that protects our body from the aggression of external agents. Among these, UVA and UVB rays contribute to the production of free radicals responsible for cellular (and therefore also skin) aging, which is manifested by the appearance of spots, darker or lighter, on the skin.

This phenomenon, scientifically known as melasma, is determined by the alteration of the normal production of melanin within the epithelial cells responsible for the pigmentation of our skin, the melanocytes.

… non-gender

Although they represent an aesthetic problem felt more by women, the spots on the skin do not look anyone in the face – it is appropriate to say it. There is no distinction between men and women: they can appear on the faces of both. What makes the difference, however, is the age and the way we have treated our skin.

The spots tend to appear once we are past fifty springs, when the systems that regulate the production and distribution of skin pigments (such as melanin) may not work as well as before.

In addition, the number of spots and the probability that the skin of the face is affected are directly related to the chemical or photochemical damage we have caused to the skin or to alterations, temporary or permanent, of our hormonal balance.

Spots on the face: why?

The presence of spots of variable number and extension, lighter or darker than the normal coloration of the skin and caused by deficiency or localized excess of melanin, is generally called dyschromia by doctors. But what is the reason for this increase in coloring?

Hormonal alterations due to pregnancy, breastfeeding, use of contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, taking antibiotics or sulfonamides – which stimulate the production of melanin even without exposure to the sun – are some of the causes of reversible irregular pigmentation. This means that, once the cause of the abnormal production of pigments has been “eliminated”, the skin returns to its normal color.

The spots can also be caused by the so-called contact dermatitis, which differ from photoallergic and phototoxic ones because they occur even without exposure to sunlight. In other words, when an allergenic substance comes into contact with the skin, it triggers an immune response that manifests itself with the localized appearance of spots on the skin. Among the most common allergens in this case we remember nickel, chromium and paraphenylenediamine, a dye present in hair dyes.

Even the application of cosmetics before sun exposure can cause the onset of stains as a result of a phototoxic or photoallergic reaction. Hence the name of photoallergic and phototoxic contact dermatitis, which are due to the presence in cosmetics of some perfumes or preservatives (the latter are part of the formulation of cosmetics to protect them from the action of microorganisms).

In both types of dermatitis the phenomenon is reversible by eliminating the cause, i.e. washing and cleaning the affected area and avoiding a new exposure of the skin to allergenic substances.

Equally reversible are the skin spots known as urticaria, caused by a food allergy. In allergy sufferers, the immune system identifies certain food proteins as dangerous and releases substances into the body that cause hives, but also swelling and, when the body’s reaction is particularly high, even anaphylactic shock. The main foods that can cause hives are milk, eggs, peanuts, nuts, fish and shellfish.

Even the exposure of the skin of the face to an excess of heat or cold can determine, especially in subjects with particularly sensitive skin, the appearance of spots on the skin. They are due to the alteration of subcutaneous blood circulation and disappear when the skin regains its normal thermal balance.

Less reversible, however, are the spots caused by behaviors harmful to the skin, such as prolonged exposure to the sun or tanning lamps without adequate protection. In this case we speak of solar lentigo.

Finally, remember that the appearance of spots on the face can also be psychosomatic. People who are particularly anxious and get excited, for example, to speak in public may be subject to sudden redness of the skin of the face. Color variations that, fortunately, fall when the cause of stress is eliminated.

Prevention, prevention, prevention

Taking care of the skin – especially that of the face, which is the most frequently exposed part of the body – is therefore essential to keep it in shape and avoid its premature aging. If it is not possible to oppose the passage of time, however, we can adopt useful behaviors to prevent and slow down the phenomena that cause the appearance of spots on the skin.

To this end, it is advisable to reduce the photochemical damage caused by UVA and UVB rays by avoiding excessive exposure of the skin to the sun and applying sunscreens appropriate to your skin type, pay attention to skin contact with potentially irritating or allergenic substances such as cosmetics and detergents and do not consume foods that, in allergy sufferers, can cause hives.

Prevention then, you know, also comes from a correct dietary lifestyle. A healthy diet can in fact slow down the appearance of spots on the skin, especially if we do not miss our metabolism vitamins and microelements useful to fight free radicals, such as:

• vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, which we can find in carrots, potatoes, parsley, cabbage and spinach
• vitamin E, present in almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts and broccoli
• vitamins B and C
• zinc and selenium.