How to Rid Yourself of Age Spots

For years you've looked in the mirror and marveled at how good your skin looks (or not). Then one day the inevitable happens. You see these darkened blotches of skin pop up on your face and on the back of your hands. Immediately the question jumps into your mind: "Are these age spots?"

This just might be the case. Age spots are usually genetic so if you see a member of your family with age spots, chances are you might have them too. But that doesn't mean that you're disqualified if your family doesn't have a history of them. Although no one knows the exact causes of age spots, there are ways treat them and, in the case of those who get too much sun, ways that you can try and prevent them.

If you want to prevent age spots, the key ingredient is sun protection. Sun damage is probably the number one cause of our pigment cells going out of whack. This change in our pigment cells is what most dermatologist attribute to age spots. To prevent this, you should try and keep the sun off your skin as much as possible. When out in the sun, where hats with good covering, invest in a quality sun screen (SPF 30 on a daily basis) and where shades that block UV rays.

If you're looking to remedy age spots, then one of the leading ways to do this is microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion is the act of rubbing the skin with fine crystals. This is accomplished either on the tip of a pen sized wand or by blowing a treated steam that is then suctioned off the skin. This treatment removes the dead cells of the skin's outer layer where the discolored cells reside. It also will stimulate new cell growth, new collagen growth, increase blood flow and reduce fine wrinkles along with the deep cleaning of blackheads.

If you're looking for a longer lasting remedy, then you may want to look at a light-based treatment. Light therapy operates below the skin and operate on the cells that produce melanin. Age spots occur when these cells product too much melanin. Light therapy actually destroys these cells by converting to heat energy. This energy then destroys the cells.

There are variations of this type of treatment. Some procedures use LED lighting with impulses of low intensity lighting with no heat energy and no discomfort whatsoever. Others use a laster of intense light that will not only affect the underneath skin layer but also the outer layer as well. This type of treatment may leave the skin an irritated color and may need time for recovery.

No matter the way you want to treat your age spots, there are alternatives available. But always remember, the best alternative is prevention.