How to Lighten Dark Spots on Skin

As you age, so does your skin. You can develop dark spots that are also referred to as age spots. They are usually caused by the sun. Although dark spots on the skin can't be removed except by surgery, you can lighten them. Follow these steps to learn how to lighten the dark spots on your skin and restore a more youthful glow.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Purchase a fade cream. These are sold over the counter at drug, grocery and retail stores. These contain 2 percent hydroquinone which is a skin bleaching agent that will lighten dark spots over the course of a couple of months.
2. See a dermatologist who can prescribe you a vitamin A cream such as Retinova or Retin-A. These retinoid creams fade discolorations on the skin and stimulate the growth of new and healthy skin cells. These prescription-strength creams can be harsh on some skin types, follow your dermatologist's recommendation.
3. Use a dermabrasion kit that can be purchased at your local drugstore. These gently exfoliate your skin encouraging skin cell turnover. This results in an even-toned appearance of your skin, minimizing the dark spots.
4. Try a skin peel. These are available online at websites such as skinculture.com. Skin peels invisibly remove the "glue" holding the skin together, encouraging exfoliation. This is not recommended for sensitive skin types.
5. Visit a doctor about having the dark spots removed by laser surgery. This is an expensive procedure and is only recommended if you absolutely can't handle having the dark spots on your skin.