Solar Lentigo – Age Spots by Another Name
The proper, and more useful, name for age spots is “solar lentigo.” Basically this means a spot caused by the sun. Essentially, age spots are really big freckles and usually appear on the arms, face, hands, back and feet. People with fairer skin are more likely to get age spots. Age spots are not an appearance-issue only, because sometimes there is dryness, roughness and even thinning of the skin at the age spot (which could lead to increased bruising).Treatment for Age Spots
Effective age spot treatment is typically done by a dermatologist. There are several different approaches depending on the skin, location and number of age spots being treated. Some of the approaches use fade creams to lighten the area of the age spot. Other approaches attempt to freeze off the age spots using cryotherapy. There are also procedures to remove age spots using lasers and tretinoin (Retin-a and other products). All of these are done by prescription. You may find some over-the-counter creams that claim to fade age spots – they might work a little, but are much less potent than the prescription creams.Preventing Age Spots
Anti aging skin care for preventing age spots is pretty simple: Reduce your exposure to the sun. You can do this by avoiding exposure through wearing protective clothing and simply not being out in the sun too much. You can also prevent age spots by using sunscreens. Consider using a daily face and hand cream that has sunscreen in it. This would help prevent age spots on the most visible parts of your body.Must Read: Anti Aging Skin Care Products: What Works and What Doesn't
Source(s): National Institute on Aging. National Institutes of Health. Age Page: Skin Care and Aging.
