How to Reduce Age Spots & Discoloration

Aging causes changes to human skin. The melanin in the skin epidermis increases but in a sporadic manner, resulting in age spots and discolorations on the hands, face and other parts of the body. These changes are exacerbated by excessive ultraviolet rays from sunlight, lack of moisture in the skin and medications taken for other ailments. To reduce the appearance of age spots and similar discolorations, you must reduce the factors that increase the spots and their permanence in the epidermis.

Instructions

1. Ask your doctor to change medications that are known to worsen age spots and discolorations. If no alternative is available, begin your age spot reduction once the medication and/or treatment is done.

2. Wear sunscreen, a hat, tops with sleeves and other coverups when venturing outdoors. Ultraviolet rays increase age spots, discolorations and even skin cancer.

3. Take vitamins daily and drink water to help your skin naturally reduce discoloration. Vitamin E, vitamin C and glycollic acids all aid the skin in rapid regrowth, causing the age-spotted epidermis to shed faster than the normal rate. Drinking plenty of water each day also helps moisturize the body and skin, encouraging rejuvenation of the epidermis.

4. Get a skin peel to remove the spotted epidermis. Chemical peels such as cryotherapy and laser spot removal make the epidermis shed the discolored area in a few days or weeks, rather than your skin's natural shedding time of a few months or longer. Perform a peel at home using over-the-counter skin scrubs.

5. Ask your doctor for a prescription medication to help speed up the discoloration reduction. Medications containing the drug Ruminix are an example. The drugs inhibit the melanin production in the skin, reducing the impact of the discolorations before they begin.

6. Apply coverup. Reduce the spots temporarily with over-the-counter concealers found in the makeup section of the pharmacy. They reduce the appearance of age spots and discolorations for a few hours or until the concealer is reapplied.

Tips & Warnings

• Swap your regular tanning bed sessions with spray tan appointments. Tanning in beds exposes the skin to UV light that causes ages spots and discolorations. Spray tanning is a safe alternative.

• Laser and cryotherapy treatments are medical procedures that must be performed by a licensed physician. They also have serious side effects that you should consider before getting treatment.

References

• Epigee; Age Spots
• Renaissance Laser and Vein Institute; Laser Genesis and Pigmented Lesions