How to Find the Best Treatment for Age Spots
Age spots are brownish spots that appear on the
face and the skin. These are also called liver spots or sun spots.
Contrary to its name, age spots are not really
caused by aging.
As a matter of fact, these areas of pigmentation on
the skin appear mainly because of the sun.
Of course, prevention is always the best solution
but if you already have them, don’t despair as there is a treatment for age
spots, a wide variety at that.
What Treatment Alternatives Are There?
1. CHEMICAL PEELS.
One treatment for age spots is chemical peeling.
This entails the application of a chemical solution on the skin. It works by
dissolving the damaged surface of the skin where age spots are found so that
newer, smoother skin is revealed. The depth of the peel depends on the chemical
used and the method of its application.You might feel some itching or tingling
during the chemical peel treatment and afterwards, some redness and irritation
is expected.
2. CRYOSURGERY.
This
treatment for age spots makes use of a technique wherein abnormal skin cells
are destroyed and removed by freezing. It can be sprayed on to the skin or a
swab may also be used. This is sometimes used for age spots although a more
common use of cryosurgery is for removing cancerous skin cells. Side effects of
the procedure may cause bleeding, formation of blisters, hypopigmentation, and
even scarring.
3. MICRODERMABRASION.
Microdermabrasion is typically used to rejuvenate
the skin’s upper layers, specifically, the stratus corneum. It helps exfoliate
and remove dead skin cells from the skin. This makes use of non-particulate
devices like diamond-coated paddles or abrasive particulates that are scrubbed
or sprayed on to the skin. This improves texture of the skin and improves age
spots although there might be sun sensitivity, skin flaking and redness
afterwards.
4. LASER.
Laser
treatment is the usually the treatment of choice for age spots. It may require
several sessions before results can be seen. Laser makes use of a powerful beam
of light that gets absorbed by the brown skin pigments and breaks these up. It
can sting after and some bruising may be noticed.
5. NATURAL CREAMS.
Creams may also work as a treatment for age spots.
Although, you might want to skip those with bleach as it can cause uneven white
patches on the skin. Choose a natural lightening cream with natural ingredients like vitamin C and shea
butter. Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant and helps with skin repair while
shea butter effectively gets rid of sun spots and provides skin hydration as
well.
Natural vs. Traditional?
When it comes to treatment for age spots, which one
is better: natural or traditional? Basically, traditional ways of removing age
spots include surgical procedures like microdermabrasion, laser, and
cryosurgery and medical treatments like hydroquinone which is a bleaching
agent.
Natural treatments however include creams and oils
that are made from natural ingredients that have natural lightening properties
like vitamin C, active manuka honey, and shea butter.
Now, conventional treatments are actually a lot
faster in terms of results. However, there are also larger risks and side
effects. After treatment, sun spots may also reappear when exposed to the sun
again.
Natural skin creams may
take some time but you can be sure that no side effects will be experienced.
Reappearance of sun spots is also less likely if you continue using natural
creams as ingredients like shea butter also offers sun protection.
While sun spots can be treated, it is important to
prevent it while you still can. Make sure you apply a natural sunscreen on a
regular basis and to protect your skin if you’re out in the sun for extended
periods of time.