Age Spot Continued

Prevention and Cures The first and best way to decrease the chance of developing age spots is to get into the habit of limiting exposure to the sun and using a really good sunscreen when going out. Age spots don't spontaneously develop overnight; they are the result of years of exposure and early, diligent care when going out into the sunlight will go a long way towards preventing their coming into being. Once age spots have appeared there are several methods that can be used to try to make them go away. Each method has its own upside and drawbacks. Fade creams, over-the-counter moisturizers with an added bleaching agent, are readily available and can be helpful in eliminating some age spots. They do tend to take a while to show real results and they are not very effective on darker and more stubborn spots. Prescription-strength Vitamin A creams, often used in conjunction with prescription strength bleaching agents, are very effective at making discoloration fade while also promoting the growth of new, healthy skin cells. Again, this process can take a while to show lasting results. And also, this type of treatment can have a harsh drying effect on some types of skin. Alpha Hydroxy acids, often derived from fruit, treat the problem by burning off the outermost layers of skin cells and exposing healthier cells. This treatment can be performed in the form of creams or chemical peels. Liquid nitrogen therapy works by freezing the age spots and exposing the healthier skin underneath. Both of these can be very effective but sometimes can leave white, bleached-out areas where the age spots were. Laser surgery is a very effective method of removing age spots. It is quick and usually very effective though it can tend to be very expensive as well. By Michael Willis