Age spots are also known as liver spots, and they're skin blemishes that can show up on the skin as we get older. Usually, these blemishes can show up on areas of the skin which are most frequently exposed to the ultraviolet light of the sun: the forehead, cheeks, shoulders, arms, and hands.
Real age spots can range in color from black, gray, or brown, and they're normally flat and physically harmless, even if they can sometimes get bad press for being associated with signs of aging.
If you don't feel happy about having age spots, there are treatments that can fade age spots or even remove age spots. Techniques for removing age spots can range from bleaching creams to laser therapy, to even cryotherapy.
How Do Age Spots Happen?
When we're exposed to ultraviolet rays, our skin defends itself by producing melanin, which is responsible for the color of our skin; more melanin means darker skin color, but as we get older, melanin production can go a little funky, and sometimes, a little too much is produced in just one little area. These are basically what liver spots are.
While there are a few exceptions, most people will develop liver spots after the age of forty, when skin starts to become much less able to repair from the damage caused by sun exposure.
It's a normal part of aging, although if you really feel self-conscious about your age spots, there are a lot of different ways to remove age spots or fade age spots.
Here are some of the most common treatments for removing age spots:
Topical Medication
Usually, these medications are prescribed bleaching creams, sometimes used with a mild steroid and/or retinoids. Regular use over a long period of time can fade age spots really effectively, but it's still a good idea to make sure that you protect yourself from the sun and prevent new age spots from forming with sunscreen and other sun protection measures.
Dermabrasion
The pigment responsible for age spots is at the base of the topmost skin layer also known as the epidermis. Dermabrasion works by planning or sanding down the top layer of the skin so that new skin grows in its place. This procedure can be a little rough on a your skin, so watch out for scabbing or redness and be gentle on the area where the dermabrasion was performed.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy goes straight for the source of age spots: the excess melanin or melanocytes that create age spots' dark pigment in the first place. It destroys them using laser light, and is really effective at removing age spots. This particular technique can require a number of sessions and can cost a lot of money though.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy involves freezing the top layer of the skin with the age spots using liquid nitrogen or any other freezing agents. Like with laser therapy, the excess pigment is destroyed, and this technique to fade age spots can be pretty effective, even if slight discoloration or scarring can sometimes happen.
Chemical Peel
Another way to remove age spots is to use a chemical peel. This particular technique for removing age spots uses acid that will burn away the top layer of the skin and cause it to peel, all the way down to the age spots themselves. During this time, new skin will usually form; age spot-free, or at least considerably less spotty.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com
About the Author
Want to know the 15 secrets supermodels and makeup artists are trying to keep to themselves? Discover their best secrets here.
