Lentigo

Butter is a dark or brown spot that appears on the skin, such as the face, arms, or back of the hands. Butter is about 5-20 mm long and has an irregular shape. The growth of lentigo can last for years, but it can also occur suddenly. In general, lentigo is used by adults 50 years and over, but can also occur in children. If spots appear in sufficient quantities, they are called lentigine.

 

Causes of lentigo
The most common form of lentigo is lentigo simplex. The cause of lentigo simplex is not yet known because it is not caused by sun exposure and is not associated with a disorder or medical condition. This type of lentigo appears from birth or is more common in early childhood. Spots usually have a size of 5-15 mm and can disappear over time.

There are several other types of lentigo with known causes, namely:

• Solar Lentigo. Solar lentigo occurs when ultraviolet radiation causes hyperactivity in skin cells called melanocytes, thus accelerating the production of melanin, the pigment that darkens the skin. Sun lentigo appears in areas of the skin that are most exposed to sunlight, such as the face, hands, shoulders and arms. Spots are usually less than 5 mm in size, but can fuse and form larger patches.
• Lentigo stain ink. Lentigo which usually appears in white or bright people due to sunburn when sunbathing. Lentigo ink stains are black dots.
• Lentigo Radiation. Lentigo results from radiotherapy, as in cancer treatment.
• PUVA lentigo. Lentigo appears after psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy. This therapy is used to treat psoriasis and eczema.
• Lentigo tanning bed. Lentigo results from exposure to ultraviolet light from devices intended to darken the skin (tanning beds) for a long time.
• Caused by innate anomalies, including:

• Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Children with this syndrome tend to have small black spots on their faces.
• Noonan's syndrome. This syndrome causes the formation of lentigine in various parts of the body.
• Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome. This syndrome causes the appearance of black spots on the body.
• Xeroderma pigmentosum syndrome. This syndrome makes patients more sensitive to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Symptoms of Lentigo

As explained above, lentigo is characterized by the appearance of round black or brown spots on the body.

Lentigo is generally harmless and does not require any medical treatment. However, seek immediate medical attention if a place changes, such as:

• The pigment color becomes dark.
• Having an irregular shape.
• Has an unusual color combination.
• Its size is growing rapidly.
• Itching, rashes, or bleeding.

This change may be a sign of melanoma skin cancer.
 

Diagnosis of lentigo

Although lentigo is usually harmless, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist to ensure that the skin disorders that are found do not cause skin cancer. The doctor can take several steps to diagnose lentigo, namely:

• Visual inspection. The doctor will usually diagnose the spots by looking at your skin.
• Biopsy. In a biopsy procedure, the doctor anesthetizes the skin area around the spots, then takes a small sample of these spots. Tissue samples will be taken from the laboratory for examination. This examination is carried out if the perceived skin disorder is thought to cause other skin disorders, such as skin cancer.

Lentigo treatment

Lentigo does not need to be treated. However, some people choose to relieve or eliminate lentigo for aesthetic reasons. There are several types of treatment for lentigo, including:

• Medicine. One of them is a skin lightening cream that contains hydroquinone or tretinoin which can gradually fade.
• Cryotherapy. This procedure is carried out to destroy the excess pigment by giving liquid nitrogen or other cooling agents to the lentigo zone until it is frozen.
• Laser (IPL). This therapy aims to destroy melanin-producing cells (melanocytes) without damaging the skin's surface.
• Chemical peels. This type of treatment is done using acidic chemicals, so that the outer layer of skin is peeled off and new skin is formed to replace loose skin.
• Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion. Dermabrasion is a skin exfoliation technique using special tools with a rough surface to remove the outermost layer of skin. Meanwhile, the microdermabrasion procedure uses small crystals to clean the outermost layer of skin. Microdermabrasion has lighter side effects than dermabrasion.

Prevention of lentigo

Some measures can be taken to prevent the appearance of new lentigo or new lentigo after treatment, including:

• Use clothes that cover the body. Wear clothes that cover your legs and arms and a large hat to protect your face from the sun.
• Avoid the sun between 10 hours and 14 hours. At that time, the sun was at its highest point and the radiation was very strong. Try to move indoors during these hours.
• Use sunscreen. Apply sunscreen about 15-30 minutes before leaving the room. Sun protection protects UVA (long ultraviolet) and UVB (short ultraviolet). Choose a sunscreen that has (SPF) a minimum of 30 and apply every 2 hours.

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