GET RID OF THAT AGE SPOTS!

Age spots are also known as liver spots, sun spots or senile lentigo. They are flat, brown or dark spots on the skin and usually occur on sun-exposed areas of the skin. They have the same texture as the rest of your skin and are painless. It happens as a result of build-up wastes known as lipofuscin accumulation, a by-product of free radical damage in skin cells. Exposure to the sun causes the development of free radicals that damage the skin. People of any age and sex can develop age spots irrespective of the race. However, they are more common in people who have fair skin, history of frequent sun exposure and being older than 40 years old.

Treatment isn’t necessary because they don’t cause any health problems. However, people want to remove it because they don’t like the way they look. There are several medical procedures that can treat age spots but each carries a risk of side effects and complications. They include, laser treatment to destroy the cells that produce melanin, cryosurgery (freezes age spots with liquid nitrogen) and chemical peels to burn the outer layer of your skin allowing new skin to grow in its place. If you want to use over the counter cream, choose one that contain glycolic acid, kojic acid, deoxyarbutin, alpha hydroxyl acid. Cosmetics don’t remove age spots but rather cover them up.

Nutrients like Antioxidants (e.g. vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc etc.) to protect against free radical damage, Lactobacillus (aids in liver regeneration and digestion), Tretinoin (retin A) which speeds up sloughing off of top layers of skin and also removes fine wrinkles can be used for age spots.

Herbs like burdock, milk thistle and red clover aid in cleansing the blood stream. Ginseng and liquorice are also beneficial but is not used to be used for hypertensive patients.

Lemon juice, Apple cider vinegar, Onions, Castor oil, Aloe Vera juice, Olive oil, Papaya, Orange juice, Buttermilk and tomato, Watermelon, Cumin seed, Yogurt mask, Cucumber juice, Garlic, Dandelion and Rose water can all be used as home remedies for age spots as most are powerful source of antioxidants.

You can’t always prevent age spots but you can reduce your chances of getting them by avoiding the sun between 10a.m and 3p.m when the sun rays are most intense, wear a sunscreen every day, apply sunscreen at least 30minutes before sun exposure and wear protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeved shirt, eat a diet high in protein, veggies and fruits, avoid caffeine, tobacco, fat foods and processed foods, cleanse the liver and get rid of toxins from the body etc.

Note: On rare occasions, age spots can make skin cancer more difficult to diagnose. The appearance of age spots can cause emotional distress in some people.