Author:
Monica Porter
Date Of Creation:
16 March 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
Age spots are flat brown, black, or yellow spots that appear on the neck, hands, and face. Age spots arise mainly from sun exposure and usually begin to appear in your 40's. Age spots are not dangerous so there is no medical reason to remove them. However, age spots can reveal age, so many people (both men and women) want to remove them for cosmetic reasons. You can get rid of age spots using a variety of methods: using over-the-counter and prescription products, using home remedies, or using professional skin treatments.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Use over-the-counter and prescription products
Use hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is an effective bleaching cream that can help significantly reduce the appearance of age spots.
- Hydroquinone is available in concentrations up to 2% over the counter, while higher concentrations require a prescription from a doctor.
- Be aware that hydroquinone is banned in many European and Asian countries due to its potential carcinogenicity. However, in some countries like the US, hydroquinone is still widely sold.
Use Retin-A. Retin-A is an excellent anti-aging skin care product used to fight wrinkles, improve skin smoothness, fade uneven skin tone and sun damage, including age spots.- Retin-A is a derivative of vitamin A, available in gel or cream form in various concentrations. Retin-A is available only by prescription, so you should see your doctor before you start using it.
- Retin-A helps to remove age spots by exfoliating, removing the outer layer of hyperpigmentation and revealing the fresh, pristine skin underneath.
Use products containing glycolic acid. Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid commonly used in chemical peels. This acid works by exfoliating dead skin cells, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and age spots.- Glycolic acid over the counter comes in a cream or gel form, usually applied topically and left on for a few minutes before washing off.
- Glycolic acid can be quite strong on the skin, sometimes causing irritation and redness. You should moisturize your skin after using products containing glycolic acid.
- Look for products that contain salicylic and ellagic acids. The combination of these two ingredients has been shown to help lighten age spots. Talk to your dermatologist for advice or check the label to find one that contains both ingredients.
- You can find creams or lotions that contain both of these ingredients.
Use sunscreen before going outdoors. Sunscreen doesn't really help reduce the appearance of old age spots but will prevent new ones from forming (as age spots are mainly caused by sun damage).- Besides, sunscreen will prevent old age spots from becoming darker or more noticeable.
- Sunscreen that contains zinc oxide and an SPF of at least 15 every day should be applied, even when it is not hot outside.
Method 2 of 3: Use home remedies
Use lemon juice. Lemon juice contains citric acid that helps to whiten age spots. Simply apply some fresh lemon juice directly to the age spots and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it off. Do this twice a day and you should see results in 1-2 months.
- Lemon juice makes skin more sensitive to sunlight (and can make age spots worse), so it's important to never leave lemon juice on your skin when outdoors.
- If the skin is too sensitive, lemon juice can cause irritation. Therefore, you should dilute lemon juice with water or rose water in a 1: 1 ratio before applying it to your skin.
Use buttermilk. Buttermilk contains lactic acid, which is similar to the citric acid in lemon juice. Apply a little buttermilk directly to the age spots, leave on for 15-30 minutes before rinsing. Do it 2 times a day.
- If your skin is oily, you should mix buttermilk with a little lemon juice before applying to keep the skin from getting greasy.
- For added effect, you can mix some tomato juice with buttermilk, as tomatoes also have bleaching properties that help reduce age spots.
Use honey and yogurt. It is believed that the combination of honey and yogurt is beneficial for age spots reduction.
- You just need to mix honey with white yogurt in a 1: 1 ratio and apply directly to age spots.
- Leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing. Do it 2 times a day.
Use apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is an important ingredient in many home remedies, including the treatment of age spots. Apply a little apple cider vinegar directly to the age spots and let sit for about 30 minutes before washing off.
- Only do this once a day, as apple cider vinegar can dry out the skin. You should start to see an improvement in age spots after 6 weeks.
- For added benefits, mix apple cider vinegar with onion juice (you can squeeze the chopped onion through a sieve to get water) in a 1: 1 ratio and apply to age spots.
Use aloe. Aloe vera is commonly used to treat many skin problems, including age spots. You just need to apply some fresh aloe vera gel (taken directly from the plant) to the age spots and let the gel absorb.
- Aloe vera is so mild that it doesn't need to be rinsed. However, you should wash it off if your skin feels sticky.
- If you don't have a gel from the aloe plant, you can purchase fresh aloe juice from a supermarket or health food store. This product is also effective.
Use castor oil. Castor oil is known for its healing properties and proven efficacy in treating age spots. Apply a little castor oil directly to the age spots and massage the skin for 1-2 minutes until the oil seeps into the skin.
- Do it once in the morning and once in the evening. You should see an improvement after 1 month.
- If your skin is dry, you can mix a little coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil with castor oil to increase the moisturizing effect.
Use sandalwood powder. Sandalwood has effective anti-aging properties and is often used to reduce the appearance of age spots.
- Mix a pinch of sandalwood powder with a few drops of rose water, glycerin, and lemon juice. Apply the paste to the age spots and let it dry for about 20 minutes before rinsing it off with cold water.
- You can also massage a drop of pure sandalwood essential oil directly onto the age spots.
Method 3 of 3: Apply professional skin treatments
Uses laser technology to remove age spots. Intense pulsed light (especially effective in lightening age spots) penetrates the epidermis to rejuvenate the skin. The intensity of the rays disperses the pigmentation and destroys uneven skin tone.
- Laser treatments are painless but may be slightly uncomfortable. Anesthetic cream will be applied topically 30-45 minutes before the treatment to reduce discomfort.
- The number of treatments will depend on the size of the age spots and the number of age spots. Usually 2-3 times are required. Each treatment can last 30-45 minutes.
- Skin does not need time to recover from treatment but may be red, swollen, and sensitive to light.
- Although extremely effective, the big downside to laser treatments is the price. Depending on the type of laser used (Q-switched Ruby, Alexandrite or Fraxel Dual ray) and the number of age spots that need to be treated, the cost can be up to 8,000,000 - 30,000,000 each.
Try super abrasive treatments to get rid of age spots. Super abrasion technology is a non-invasive skin treatment that uses a wand that holds air pressure. The chopsticks will shoot crystals, zinc or other abrasive material directly onto the skin, exfoliating dead skin cells on the top layer to remove dark areas and hyperpigmentation.
- The super abrasive method does not require recovery time and does not cause side effects.
- One treatment can last from 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the area of the skin to be treated. Two treatments are usually 2-3 weeks apart.
- Usually 2-3 times are required. The cost can range from 1,500,000 or more per treatment.
Chemical peels. Chemical peels work by dissolving dead skin, allowing new, shiny skin to form on the surface. During chemical peels, the age spots are washed off and an acidic gel-like substance is applied. This area is then neutralized to finish the peeling process.
- Side effects include redness, peeling, and skin becoming sensitive, which may take time to recover.
- Usually need to peel off chemical mask 2 times, 3-4 weeks apart. The cost can be 5,000,000 or more per treatment.
- One study found that combining the Jessner peeling method with the trichloroacetic acid method was very effective for age spots. Talk to your dermatologist to see if this can help reduce age spots.
Advice
- Age spots are also known as brown spots or hyperpigmentation.
- In addition to sunscreen, you can wear protective clothing such as light long-sleeved shirts and hats to prevent sun damage.
Warning
- If age spots change in size or color, you should see your doctor, as this could be a sign of skin cancer.
