Age Spots: What Are They And How Do You Get Rid of Them?

get-rid-of-age-spots

get-rid-of-age-spots

30-Second Summary

  • Age spots are most commonly caused by exposure to the sun.
  • These spots can make you look older than you are.
  • There are many over-the-counter products you can use to help treat and get rid of age spots.
  • If over-the-counter products aren’t effective enough, visiting a dermatologist and having a clinical treatment performed could be beneficial.

How Do Age Spots Develop?

As you’ve gotten older, you’ve likely noticed some significant changes to your skin and complexion. You’ve probably noticed that your skin is wrinkling and sagging more than it used to and that it doesn’t look as bright as it once did.

You might also have noticed that you’re seeing age spots appearing on your face. These are dark spots that can make you look far older than you feel on the inside. They’re also one of the most common signs of aging. Age spots[1] are caused by ultraviolet light from the sun encouraging the production of more melanin, darkening certain areas of the skin.

Keeping your skin healthy and looking into the top-rated skin brighteners can help.

If you’re looking to get rid of these dark spots, here are a few tips.

11 Tips on How to Fade Age Spots

  • Use Retinoids. If you’ve ever spent time in skincare circles, then you’ve probably seen the word “retinoids” thrown around. That’s because they are a highly effective ingredient in skincare treatments.

Retinoids are known for their ability to encourage the production of collagen in your skin. They also have the capability of brightening up your skin.

While you won’t see immediate results, over the next few months, you’ll find that your age spots disappear.

  • Look for Polyphenols. Polyphenols are a group of organic compounds that include flavonoids and tannic acid. You can find them in many foods.

Among many other things, polyphenols[2] can protect the skin and keep it looking bright and healthy.

Gundry MD Dark Spot Diminisher is an over-the-counter product that contains polyphenols to protect and brighten your skin. Many other skincare brands on the market carry these compounds.

  • Try Kojic Acid. You may also want to look for products that contain the ingredient kojic acid. It can be found in many fungi and is also a potential by-product of fermenting certain foods. It works by preventing the production of tyrosine.

Tyrosine is required for your body to produce melanin. So, by blocking its production, you’re preventing more age spots from forming while also brightening your skin.

However, be aware that some people may find this ingredient irritating.

  • Use Glycolic Acid. This is another ingredient you should look for in your skin-lightening products. Glycolic acid is known for its ability to act as an exfoliant.

Exfoliating your skin is a crucial part of your overall skincare routine, as it helps remove dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. This will help reveal lighter, healthier cells underneath, leaving you with a much younger and brighter look.

  • Try Laser Therapy. There are many over-the-counter products that you can try, but there’s only so much they can do. While products like Gundry MD Dark Spot Diminisher may be beneficial for minor age spots, those with more severe age spots may need to visit a dermatologist.

Laser therapy is an effective way of treating super prominent age spots. It involves using a laser to get rid of the melanin causing your skin to darken.

If you’re interested in getting any kind of clinical treatment, the most important thing is to get it from a highly-trained and licensed practitioner.

  • Dermabrasion or Microdermabrasion Treatments. When you receive one of these treatments, a brush spinning very quickly will “sand down” the top layer of skin, removing dark cells. This also allows healthier and brighter cells to grow in their place.

Microdermabrasion is a slightly gentler method of treatment if dermabrasion sounds too intense for you. Just be aware that if you have skin conditions like eczema or rosacea, these treatment methods could make those issues worse.

  • Cryotherapy. If you only have a few smaller age spots on your skin, then cryotherapy could be the right treatment method for you.

In this treatment, liquid nitrogen will be applied to the precise areas where the age spots are. This causes the skin to freeze, which, in turn, destroys the dark pigment of your age spots.

As the new skin cells grow, you should find that the areas where the treatment has been applied look much brighter.

  • Get a Chemical Peel. When you receive a chemical peel, your dermatologist will apply a peeling solution to your skin. Like exfoliating, this will cause the darkened spots to peel off, revealing brighter skin underneath.

This is an effective way of removing unwanted common signs of aging like age spots. Your dermatologist may recommend returning for multiple treatments for you to get the results you want to achieve.

  • Keep Up with a Skincare Routine. This won’t help you get rid of dark spots that are already on your skin, but it will help you prevent more from forming.

If you want your skin to stay young-looking and healthy, then you need to take good care of it. Make sure that you’re washing your face once in the morning and once again at night. Also, make sure to use a quality toner and moisturizer after cleansing your skin.

On top of the regular products in your skincare routine, consider the top-rated skin brighteners for the best results. They contain proven ingredients to help lighten spots and make your skin tone even.

  • Use Sunscreen. The best way of getting rid of age spots is by preventing them in the first place. Prolonged and unprotected exposure to the sun is one of the main causes of these unwanted spots.

That means that wearing sunscreen is the best way of preventing age spots. Look for a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF, and make sure to apply it every day – even in the winter.

  • Cover Up. Like wearing sunscreen, covering your skin when you’re heading outside will help keep the sun from damaging your skin even more than it already has.

Make sure that you’re wearing a hat when you go out on sunny days, and invest in a good pair of sunglasses to protect the area around your eyes.

The Bottom Line

If you’re feeling self-conscious about the appearance of age spots on your skin, don’t worry. The above 11 tips will help you get rid of these common signs of aging.

Remember, if you’re thinking of getting a clinical treatment, the most important thing you can do is seek out a licensed and highly-trained practitioner to perform the procedure in a way that’s both safe and effective.

References:

1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/age-spots/symptoms-causes/syc-20355859

2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3288507/