Best Ways To Treat (and Prevent!) Age Spots

Using over-the-counter products

When you’re having a beauty problem, you likely go shopping to find the right solution. And if you have age spots on your own skin, you might be able to find the right solution by visiting a local beauty store. A well-stocked store (remember, you can always go online if you strike out locally) should have a number of creams and lotions designed to make your age spots fade and even disappear.

How do these creams and lotions work, exactly? In this case, it’s what’s inside that counts: most of these products contain ingredients like Vitamin C, hydroquinone, or retinol, all of which are helpful in making your skin look younger and healthier. Just don’t expect overnight results, though, as it might take weeks or even months before your age spots start to noticeably fade.

Laser treatments

Some who suffer from age spots have great luck making them fade with over-the-counter treatments. Should these solutions fail, however, there are a number of medical procedures that might help. One of the most popular is laser treatment, which works by targeting the melanin that darkens your skin.

The lasers break down the melanin, which allows your body to more easily absorb it. This method is popular because it offers quick results that last a good, long time. However, here are a few words of warning: these treatments are expensive, and they can cause short-term issues like crusting or skin darkening.

Chemical peels

Laser treatments not for you? Or maybe you didn’t like the experience and want to try other methods of removing your age spots? In that case, you should consider chemical peels. They offer quick treatment that some say leaves you with softer, younger skin.

Some prefer chemical peels because they are cheaper than laser treatments and, as an added benefit, the skin may have a more even tone after it regenerates. The major downside to these peels is that they aren’t as effective on deeper spots. If you have such spots, you may need to explore alternative treatments, including microdermabrasion.

Using microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a fancy word for a simple process. This age spot treatment works via exfoliation and is designed to remove the outer layer of your skin, which helps make the unwanted age spots fade away.

In some cases, microdermabrasion can take care of the age spots on its own. If not, you can actually combine this with chemical peels in order to get better results. Remember, though, that it might take multiple microdermabrasion sessions to see optimal results. If you are looking for a “one and done” type of solution, you are better off saving up and getting laser treatment.

The best way to prevent age spots

If you’re reading this, it’s because you want to get rid of your existing age spots. However, it’s equally important to prevent new spots from appearing in the future. Prevention is always better than treatment, and the single best way to prevent future spots from appearing is to minimize time in the sun.

We may call them “age spots,” but these marks could more accurately be called “sun spots” because they represent damage that the sun has caused to your skin. Reducing your time in the sun, then, can reduce the likelihood of future spots appearing. Fortunately, there are a number of clever ways to help you stay out of the sun in your day-to-day life.

Easy ways to stay out of the sun

You may be able to avoid sunlight by changing up the timing of certain activities…for example, trading out your morning walk for an evening one. You can also start bringing umbrellas to help protect you from direct sunlight. Consider changing your fashion up…long sleeves and wide-brimmed hats look stylish and offer great protection from harsh UV rays.

Good sunglasses can also protect the skin around your eyes. But no matter what you wear or how much time you spend outside, it’s important to wear sunscreen every day. That way, no matter how much sun you soak up, your skin will be protected!