Age Spots: Prevention and Treatment

Age spots are the result of years of exposure to ultraviolet light, meaning they usually occur in adults over the age of 50, but it is not uncommon for them to appear on younger people, especially those who have had excessive exposure to UV rays. When the skin is exposed to sunlight, the production of melanin is accelerated. Age spots occur when melanin becomes clumped or is produced in high concentrations in one area. While age spots are not harmful to health, they can add up to ten years to your appearance, which is why many people seek solutions to prevent or treat them.

Prevention:

As with all health issues, prevention is always better than treatment. While removing age spots may be your priority, preventing the formation of further spots is also key to achieving youthful and healthy looking skin.

Sunscreen:

While most people remember to slather on some sunscreen before a day at the beach or lounging by the pool, much of the damage to our skin is done through day-to-day incidental exposure to the sun. This means that it is important to wear sunscreen every day, especially on the areas most affected by sun damage, such as the face, hands and chest. Many people are hesitant to wear sunscreen on their face every day because of concerns about oiliness and damage to the sensitive skin on the face. However there are several high quality high SPF sunscreens designed especially for the face, which are sheer and lightweight, meaning they can be worn daily.

Avoiding Sun Exposure:

While sunscreen is important for protecting your skin from the sun, it doesn’t provide 100% protection. When you are spending prolonged periods of time in the sun, you should wear protective clothing such hats and sun wraps, paying particular attention to the areas where you are prone to developing age spots.

Treatment:

Even once age spots have formed, it is still not too late to regain a youthful appearance thanks to the high quality products available for treating the appearance of dark spots. The best treatment plan uses both supplements to nourish your skin from within and topical creams to directly fade spots.

Oral Treatment:

Oral supplements that contain antioxidants can be used to help treat age spots. Antioxidants are vitamins or nutrients that prevent the damaging effects of oxidation. They neutralise free radicals, preventing some of the damage to the appearance of the skin caused by exposure to UV rays.

Topical Treatment:

There are many topical treatments available that use active ingredients such as glycolic acid, antioxidants and hydroquinone. To discover effective topical treatments for your skin condition, visit your local Chemistworks and talk to our friendly staff about the best options for you.

Our skilled pharmacists can help you find the best products to prevent and treat age spots.