Skin Laboratory Chemical Peels

Some age spotting might be more serious than others and require a treatment like a chemical peel. Chemical peels are safe and effective treatments for age spots and other pigmentation problems. Chemical peels remove the layer of skin with the pigmented sun damage. The dead skin simply peels away and healthier spot-free skin is then able to emerge.

What causes Age Spots?

Age spots or liver spots are brown blemishes usually associated with the aging process and extreme exposure to sunlight. Age spots are sometimes referred to as brown spots, stains, or sun spots, and despite the liver spot nickname, have no association with the liver. Age spots are flat, unlike moles, and range in color from light brown to black. You can generally find these spots on the areas of your skin most exposed to the sun, such as on your arms, face, shoulders, and forehead. Age spots on the hands are extremely common.

Age spots are caused by a lifetime of sun damage. Pass the age of 40, your skin simply becomes less able to cope with and regenerate from sun damage. Some correlation between stress levels has also been found. Instead of healing naturally, age spots develop excessive pigmentation in the skin. Age spots are not cancerous and there’s no health risk connected to them, but they can be embarrassing and unsightly. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments for age spot removal.

Why should you have to pay for a lifetime of sunny skies? Don’t think this is an issue just for the elderly either. Unless you’ve been living under a rock your entire life, you’re eventually going to have to deal with age spots, and knowing about their removal now can save you a lot hassles later on.

There are some nutritionists who believe that sun spots are signs of a selenium deficiency and suggest taking supplements to remove age spots. Other more severe methods associated with age spot removal are freezing, skin sanding, and electrical needles. However, none of these treatments are advised as they tend to leave white spots and scarring. Most experts agree that the best and safest way to treat age spots are non-surgical aesthetic procedures like IPL Photofacial, Microdermabrasion, and Chemical Peels.

Age Spots Introduction

With aging comes a change in skin tone and texture, including wrinkles, and in many people, the development of age spots. Age spots are also known as solar lentigines, sun spots, liver spots, and freckles. They are a result of sun exposure over time, and therefore they become more common as one ages. In this animation you will learn the symptoms and causes of age spots, ways to limit them from forming, and methods for removing or lightening them once they’ve formed.

What are Age Spots?

Age spots are flat, tan, brown, or black flat spots that are darker than the surrounding skin. Age spots, which are called lentigines, differ from another type of light tan freckles, called ephelides, that disappear or fade after seasonal sun exposure. Age spots are permanent freckles that generally tend to arise after around age 40 and occur most frequently on areas that receive the most sun exposure. Age spots are simply a concentrated region of your skin’s natural pigment, and it is not essential to treat or remove them. However, although age spots are harmless, certain forms of skin cancer can start out resembling them. Any new or questionable spot, especially any freckle that changes appearance, grows, or causes discomfort, should be examined by a dermatologist.

What Causes Age Spots?

Your skin is made of two primary layers; the epidermis is the surface, and the dermis lies beneath it. Located near the base of the epidermis are specialized cells, called melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin. Melanin gives your skin its normal color, and it is transported into new skin cells where it serves a protective role by absorbing harmful rays of sunlight that would otherwise damage the cells. The body actually produces extra melanin in response to sun exposure, and this is why you tan in the sun. However, after years of sun exposure, melanocytes in certain areas of the skin may overproduce melanin. As accumulating melanin gradually becomes more visible, an age spot develops. Genetics also influences how likely a person is to develop age spots.

Preventing Age Spots

Although age spots are a natural occurrence related to your lifetime sun exposure, they are also rough indicators of aging, and many people would rather avoid developing them. Avoiding unnecessary sun exposure is the best prevention. Using a daily sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater that protects against two forms of ultraviolet light: UVA and UVB is also recommended. Certain sunscreens that use metallic compounds, such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide, to block, rather than absorb ultraviolet light may be the most effective at preventing sun damage. Unfortunately, age spots result from past sun exposure so even taking preventative steps now won’t prevent all new age spots from forming. However avoiding sun exposure and protecting yourself with sunscreen also greatly reduces your chance of developing skin cancer.

Treating Age Spots

Age spots that have formed won’t disappear without treatment. Fortunately, there are at least three categories of ways to treat age spots: topical skin treatments, physical removal, and light treatments. Consulting with a skin care provider will help you determine the specific treatment type and method to suit your particular need for treatment time, cost, and recovery. To view examples of types of treatments that can improve your age spots, roll over any of the treatment types on your screen.

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