What Are Age Spots?
Age spots are flat, small dark areas on the skin and are usually present on the areas that are exposed to the sun, that is face, hands, shoulders, neck, and arms. They are also called liver spots, solar lentigines, or sunspots.
True age spots don’t require any treatment and are produced on the skin in order to protect it from the harmful rays of the sun.
What Causes Age Spots On The Face?
The main reason behind spots is the overproduction of melanin pigment in the skin, in order to protect it from the harmful rays of the sun. Skin aging, sun exposure, or exposure to harmful UV radiations like tanning beds, all lead to excessive production of melanin, leading to age spots. We are more likely to get age spots on areas that are exposed to the sun, that is face, hands, shoulders, forearms, and upper back.
Preventive Methods:
To prevent spots on the face, arms, shoulders we should follow these tips to limit sun exposure.
- Avoiding the sun between 10 am and 2 pm because the sun rays are the most intense during this duration. So, to protect your skin it is necessary to wear protective clothing or stay indoors during this time.
- Wear sunscreen every day and apply it 30 minutes before going out in the sun. Make sure that the sunscreen has a sun protection factor of 30 and should protect from UV-A and UV-B radiations.
- Wearing proper protective clothing is necessary because it helps us from UV radiation and reduces the chance of diseases like skin cancer.
How To Remove?
Age spots are not at all dangerous and do not affect our health. Its treatment is not necessary, but some people do want to get rid of these brown, dark, flat spots.
In order to get rid of age spots, the dermatologist might prescribe you bleaching creams that contain hydroquinone or retinoids which help to lighten spots. But, these creams make your skin sensitive to sun damage, so you have to apply sunscreen every time you go out in the sun.
Home Remedies:
We know that there are various medical procedures available, for getting rid of these age spots, but instead of going for these expensive methods, we can even fade these spots by using some home remedies for skin pigmentations.
- Coating your spots with aloe vera gel is quite effective in lightening the spots because it contains chemicals that remove the dead cells and promote the growth of new cells.
- Using lemon juice for treating age spots, is the perfect choice because citric acid and vitamin C present in it are natural bleaching agents. It plays a vital role in fading the age spots and promoting the growth of new layers of cells.
- The starch and sugar present in potatoes help in getting rid of age spots. These have exfoliating properties that remove the dead skin cells and boost the growth of new cells. They even rejuvenate the collagen present in our skin, resulting in fresher and smoother skin.
- Honey has many beneficial qualities for our skin. It has antibacterial properties and contains many antioxidants that help in promoting the growth of new cells and slows down aging processes.
- Milk, yogurt, and buttermilk contain lactic acid which is an exfoliant and lightens the skin. Vitamin D along with lactic acid helps in removing the dead skin cells and lightening the pigmentation.
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