What Are Age Spots?
Contrary to what people believe age spots are not caused by or are a sign of aging. Age spots essentially are caused by an overexposure to sunlight.
When the sun ultraviolet (UV) rays hit the skin, the skin begins to protect itself by producing more melanin. Melanin is a chemical hormone which makes the skin darker or more pigmented. This darker color gives the skin the ability to block the dangerous UV light from penetrating the skin too deeply. It will not have the chance to reach the susceptible cells found under the surface of the skin.
People who get age spots usually get annoyed, as these brown spots begin to pop up all over the body.
Treatments
People who suffer from age spots often try different remedies to get rid of them from the skin.
Sunblock – This should be the first line of defense for people who are looking to get rid of their age spots. Sunblock is really important as exposure to sunlight is the main reasons why age spots appear on the skin. The damaging rays and overexposure to sunlight will cause these spots to develop. This is why it is very important that sunblock is used. The good thing about some Bruck is that they will not only protect the skin against future age spots, it can also help to lighten the affected areas. This happens as the sun will be blocked from darkening them, the same way it would with the rest of the skin. The results in a reduced color contrast between the skin and the age spots.
If you are planning on using sunscreen, you should ensure that it has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Doctors have advised that anything less than 15 will result in too many UV rays to penetrate the skin.
Glycolic Acid – Gylcolic acid has been proven to be a very effective treatment for age spots. It is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and it is very good at loosening and removing pigmented dead cells at the surface of the skin. The removal of these dead cells will then promote the development of new tissue that is flesh colored.
When using a glycolic acid peel to get rid of age spots, it should be noted that a series of peels will be needed to totally get rid of the spots. These peels can be a bit irritating to the skin.
How to Use Gylcolic Acid to Treat Age Spots
The best way to treat age spots is with a daily treatment that consists of glycolic acid. This treatment is usually used 2-3 weeks after the glycolic acid peel had been done. To get the best result, it is good to do this every day. If the age spots are still there, you should continue to do acid for a couple of months and resume the daily treatment.
It is always good to consult a doctor before any treatment is started. Not all age spots will go away with a treatment like this. The doctor should be able to evaluate the skin and determine if this treatment will work.