Ever wondered how to remove age spots? This article will give you a clear review of your options. We’ll look at both treatments you can apply at home, as well as dermatological procedures that need to be administered by a professional medical practitioner.

With age comes the inevitable deterioration of the skin. Along with wrinkles, age spots are one of the surest signs that your skin is struggling to renew itself.

Before you even think about removing age spots, it is wise to make sure that you’re taking the proper precautions to minimize their occurrence.

How to minimize the damage

The first thing you should do is to always wear sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15. Sun damage is the major cause of dark spots on your skin, and unless you’re protecting yourself from the sun, you’ll only aggravate the problem.

Secondly, if you’re a smoker, stop smoking. Long term skin damage and smoking go hand in hand. If you’re serious about reversing the aging process of your skin, you have to end your relationship with the little cancer sticks.

Thirdly, a healthy diet full of raw fruits and vegetables always helps. These foods are rich in anti-oxidants, which help combat free radical damage to your body and your skin.

How to remove age spots

Let’s review the options open to you:

1. Laser treatment.

Various laser treatments are available. Ablative laser treatments involve a long recovery time and can be painful and cause severe discomfort. Non-ablative treatments, where the epidermis (outer skin layer) is left intact, are less effective but largely avoids the pain and recovery time associated with ablative treatment.

2. Dermabrasion.

This procedure may require you to be admitted to hospital. Skin is literally sanded off to a point where the doctor is satisfied that the anomaly on the skin will be less visible. This procedure also involves a long and uncomfortable recovery time.

3. Chemical Peels.

With this procedure a chemical agent is applied to the skin. Obviously this will sting to various degrees depending on many factors, like the concentration of the chemical used. This procedure does bring the risk of complications like scarring and infections.

4. Topical treatments.

The most painless and cheapest way to remove age spots is simply to use creams or lotions that help rejuvenate the skin and fade the dark areas. For the good of your skin you should favor products with natural ingredients to products with harsh chemicals.

In conclusion, due to the cost and often discomfort involved in dermatological treatments, topical treatments remain one of the best ways to get rid of dark areas on your skin. Even after the dermatological procedures, you will have to follow a topical treatment regime. The key is to have patience and to be diligent in your application, while making sure you’re using a product that is effective at fading age spots and working in harmony with your skin.