Rufus R. Noble Have you ever looked at your arm, hand, or face only to discover that you’ve got an unidentified dark spot that seems to have appeared overnight? You’re welcome to join the party. Even with our most outstanding efforts to stay coated in SPF and sunblock, by the time our 40s and 30s come through, cumulative damage caused by sunlight’s UV radiation resulting from everyday exposure and every vacation with a sunny beach throughout our lives has increased spots of discoloration (aka wrinkles) across our skin.
It’s good news that there are many established methods to eliminate dark spots, including over-the-counter products for skin care that can reduce hyperpigmentation to office treatments that can slash difficult spots to oblivion. To keep our skin at bay, we asked an expert team of dermatologists to learn how to remove sun damage and age spots for good.
In the next section, we will examine the specific age spots (and aren’t) and how to stop their formation, and then ways to remove them once they’ve appeared.
Age Spots, Defined
Age spots, also known as liver spots, also known as sun spots, can develop anyplace but usually appear in areas of the body that have experienced continuous sunlight (think faces, hands, shoulders, and the face). Genetics, however, also play an important role, says Morgan Rabach, M.D., who is a board-certified dermatologist from LM Medical NYC.
“Excess sun exposure can result in temporary damage, for example, a sunburn, accompanied by redness and mild swelling or more permanent damage such as localized changes in skin color to a brown appearance — which is a sun spot,” states Mila Davis, the aesthetician of Skin to Smile located in New Jersey. The cause is the growth of melanocyte cells that produce pigment. They can appear more slender and darker than your natural skin tone, says Lauren Abramowitz, PA-C, creator of New York City’s Park Avenue Skin Solutions and Clinical Educator at Allergan.
How to Prevent Age Spots
It was obvious Preventing it is the best ally in fighting the premature appearance of skin discoloration. “One common exacerbating factor for these disorders of hyperpigmentation is UV exposure,” Explains Oma Agbai, M.D., who is a board-licensed dermatologist as well as clinical faculty in the Department of Dermatology at UC Davis. “Being out in the sun can darken the spots and make them more difficult to fade with treatment.”
Keep your skin protected against developing spots and prevent existing spots from darkening by applying broad-spectrum sunscreen every day to protect your skin from UV radiation as well as visible light sources like screens and lighting ,indoors recommended by Dr. Agbai. She isn’t shy about her words: “Strict protection from the sun is vital.”
While some dark spots could be eliminated within a few months after the right treatment, more severe sunlight spots could never completely disappear,” says Chris Zoumalan, M.D., an oculoplastic surgeon from Beverly Hills. It doesn’t matter if you opt to use cosmetics at home or opt for office-based treatment options; you have many ways to treat sun spots.
At-Home Treatments
Use age-spot targeting ingredients.
The exfoliating acid can help to remove dead skin cells and reveal younger, more radiant skin. They’re commonly used in facial creams, serums, and masks. Also, look for ingredients that brighten your skin, like the alpha arbutin and niacinamide, which are found in serums, moisturizers, and masks.
Get started early by taking vitamin C.
Vitamin C is basically an antioxidant with a broad spectrum that provides skin with a more radiant appearance but also increases collagen production and helps protect against environmental stressors like UV radiation and free radicals to prevent sun-damaged skin. “People with darker skin are less likely to develop age spots but are more likely to develop different ‘spots’ of hyperpigmentation,” Dr. Agbai says. the dermatologist Dr. Agbai. “Vitamin C serums may be helpful for achieving a more even skin tone and topical retinoids such as Differin Gel can be helpful as a gentle peeling agent.” Cult’s classic C E Ferulic cream by SkinCeuticals and the super powerful Tatcha’s Violet-C brightening Serum 20 percent Vitamin C and 10 Vitamin C + 10 % AHA are also highly recommended.
Make your skin glow with a supercharged serum.
Skin brightening serums like Differin’s Dark Spot Correcting Serum make use of the power of 22% hydroquinone to reduce signs of age spots. This is done by simply discoloring brown spots and which causes its color to fade with time. “Hydroquinone has been used as an over-the-counter lightening agent, which can be safe and effective when used cautiously,” says the doctor. Agbai. “Be careful to avoid lightening creams containing topical steroids, as this can cause harmful changes in the skin when used over a long period of time.”
Alternate the hydroquinone with the tranexamic acid.
We love Dr. Brandt’s powerful trio of color-correcting acids that are in the Dark Spots No More serum, which is light in weight, and SkinMedica’s Lytera 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum. They’re made with tranexamic Acid, which is the most recent hero acid that helps to improve the appearance and fight the most difficult spots. However, “Make sure to openly discuss cosmeceuticals you are using with your board-certified dermatologist to make sure they are safe,” recommends Dr. Agbai.
Use a carefully-mixed combination of topical prescription medications.
For Black people and people of color, Dr. Agbai recommends dermatologist-prescribed topicals like Tri-Luma, in tandem with salicylic acid 30% chemical peels every few weeks to help fade hyperpigmentation. Also, speaking about chemical peels …
Have a go at a chemical peel to see if it works for you.
Skin tone that is lighter tends to have better results using at-home chemical peels, specifically ones that are mild enough to be used regularly, such as Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel or the more gentle Daily Peel for Sensitive Skin.
How to Get a Professional-Grade Chemical Peel Right at Home
In-Office Treatments
Make sure you have your chemical peel done by a professional.
They are powerful and efficient alternatives to laser and IPL treatments. If administered under the supervision of an aesthetic surgeon or dermatologist, They can be used to treat a wide range of skin tones. “Chemical peels peel off the top layer of skin, thereby lightening sun spots,” Davis says. Fair skin-toned people react well to trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or glycolic acid-based peels, which chemically exfoliate the outer layer of skin. This stimulates the production of collagen as well as cell renewal, which allows the new layer of the skin to appear with spots that are lighter in appearance appear. But, for darker skin tones, the peels could result in hyperpigmentation post-inflammatory, says the dermatologist Dr. Agbai.
Try microneedling.
“Microneedling is a way to restore and repair the skin and lightens sun spots, says Davis. “Microneedling results in gentle trauma to the skin, which allows the skin’s healing mechanism to increase.”
