Age marks, Prevention and Treatment

One of the most common complaints about aging is the appearance of age marks, also known as spots or lentigo.  They are annoying dark spots that tend to form on the face, arms and hands.  The only thing that causes these brown spots is sun exposure.

The majority of people don’t worry about them until they are close to forty years of age.  If you’re young, you should start taking preventive action to prevent them from appearing in the future.  You need to remember that age spots are not dangerous, but they can look unsightly.  If you already have visible spots, there are a few things you can to do soften them, even though there is not rapid cure.

Home remedies to reduce age marks

The most important thing you could do is protect your skin from UV rays.  Reduce sun exposure whenever possible and use sunscreen.  Use hats when you are outside and cover your body with clothes whenever it is practical to do so. Remember, even in small quantities, sun rays can also penetrate your skin when it’s cloudy.

Fresh lemon juice

Are you looking for a natural solution?  Due to the fact that lemon juice has a high acidic level, it is no surprise that it will help penetrate these skin layers.  This cooking ingredient works to lighten or remove age spots, if rubbed on the skin twice a day.

It will probably take several weeks to see an improvement, which is why you’ll need to be dedicated and patient.  Don’t have any lemons?  Try red onions instead.  They are known for producing the same results.

Never expose yourself to the sun after having applied lemon juice to your skin.

Aloe

To lighten age spots, remove a bit of aloe vera gel from the plant and apply it to the area you want to lighten, twice a day.

Lighten your skin with vinegar

If you want to lighten the skin on your hands you could also try the following advice.  Mix two equal parts of your normal cream and vinegar, and apply to your hands.  This is easy and quick.

Other natural treatments for age marks:

Exfoliation

Exfoliation eliminates dark, superficial cells and helps reduce existing discolored pigmentation.  The benefits include greater skin cell renovation that promotes softer skin, the age spots disappear, and it helps level out skin tone.  This technique can be used at home with natural ingredients, or by an aesthetician.

Eliminate skin layers

The process uses acids and lasers to remove deep skin layers with the intent of eliminating age spots.  You can find it in chemical exfoliants for home use, or you could go to a professional for a series of laser treatments.

Retinoids

The primary ingredient in retinoids is vitamin A.  Its work consists of promoting new cell growth and softening unwanted spots in the process.  On the down side, retinoids could be too strong for skin, making it dry and scaly.  You should keep this in mind if you are thinking of using them.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 12/31/2017

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