You’re ready to leave for a party, and right before you leave you take a good look at your face. What do you see? A face that’s perfect, except for a few brown spots. You’re in a state of shock. What are these spots? Where did they come from? These spots are popularly known as ‘Age Spots’, they are also known as freckles, liver spots, sun spots or brown spots. The spots can vary from a light brown or brown to a black color. Age spots usually appear on the skins of old people, but in reality have nothing to do with the age of a person. It was also believed that age spots appear on the skin because of the problem in the liver; that is nothing but a baseless assumption. Age spots show up because of long hours of exposure to the rays of the sun. This exposure to the sun damages melanocytes, pigment cells on the surface layer of the skin. The pigment from the damaged cells is transferred to other skin cells. Age spots are the results of this transfer. Are you ‘disgusted’ with your age spots? Make a move; read on how to get rid of them.
Image: shawncampbell@flickr
-
Since age spots are caused by exposure to the sun, the best way to deal with these spots is to use a sunscreen with a high-SPF level. The SPF level determines how long you can stand in the sun without really getting ‘toasted’. A good sunscreen lotion protects against both UVB and UVA rays. When you’re out in the sun for long hours, it’s best to apply your sunscreen at frequent intervals and wash it off when you are back home.
-
Using an exfoliating facial scrub once a week can help you battle against age or sun spots. The scrub supplements skin cell regeneration which is nothing but the replacement of cells that have been damaged by the sun. It is this quick replacement of damaged cells with new cells that prevents the occurrence of age spots.
-
A microdermabrasion treatment is a safe and reliable option. It does not require you to use harsh bleaching creams to get rid of your age spots. Here, an expert sprays your skin with microcrystals that removes the outermost layer of dry and dead skin cells. This removal leads to the revelation of younger and smooth looking skin. Microdermabrasion also adds to the production of a new underlying layer of skin cells that have higher levels of elastin and collagen. The production of the new cells can help complement the look of your skin.
-
Dermabrasion is yet another option that can help you get rid of your age spots. However, it is an extremely intensive procedure and is used to eradicate deep facial lines, blemishes, scars and extreme damages caused by the sun.
-
Laser therapy! Think about it, it works, but may be extremely painful. Laser rays target the pigments in your age spots and help in eliminating them. The spots become lighter because the pigment is absorbed by the body’s immune system. Laser therapy can permanently rid you of your age spots, but you may require more than a few sessions to achieve the same.