Many people who are aging suffer from age spots. This is a common skin condition and often a part of aging. It's possible for people to think age spots might be skin cancer since they can be brown and irregular. These flat spots are similar, but don't have the dangerous complications that cancer do. These spots are different than the freckles that younger people often get, which have perfectly round shapes with smooth sides. Doctors believe that age spots appear on the skin because a person spends a lot of time outdoors without wearing any sunscreen. The ultraviolet rays of the sun increase the formation of the pigmented spots on the exposed skin, especially if a person has fair skin. Those who have darker skin are not as susceptible to this condition. Although age spots don't cause any health problems, some people find them unsightly, so it helps to know a few ways that they can be safely removed.
Can You Get Rid of Age Spots?
Age spots can be treated at home with various over-the-counter products or at a dermatologist's office using more invasive methods. The at-home treatments usually consist of lightening creams that help fade the color of the pigmented spots over time. While they work very effectively, they have a downside though, which is that they also fade the lighter-colored skin that surrounds them too. This can end up making them look more predominant. Women usually handle this issue by covering the skin with makeup. Those who have concerns over the potential discoloration often prefer to go to a dermatologist for laser treatments, freezing therapies, or dermabrasion, which all target only the age spots and not the rest of the skin.
Liver Spots
Age spots are occasionally called liver spots, but they have nothing to do with this organ. The reason that they got this nickname is because age spots often grow together in large clusters that curve. And the clusters sometimes look like the shape of a liver. People who have liver disease because of alcoholism or hepatitis often have an increase in the pigment in their skin. So some people wrongly associate the skin condition with someone who drinks too much.
The Best Age Spot Removers
The best age spot removers are those that are gentle on the skin. As a person ages, their skin loses elasticity. It also doesn't heal as quickly as it used to. So if someone uses harsh treatments on it, they may end up doing more harm than good. That is why it is often recommended that a few naturopathic remedies are tried first. One of the best ones to use is apple cider vinegar. All a person has to do is gently apply the vinegar to the age spots twice a day until they fade away. Interestingly enough, apple cider vinegar also works well on freckles and moles. Powdered red onion peel works wonders too. In fact, some expensive facial creams that are sold for the purpose of fading age spots mainly consist of this product. The juice from either fresh white onions, lemons, or horseradish roots is an effective alternative if a person can't find any of the creams though.
