How to Fade Freckles and Age Spots

Age spots appear on skin that is frequently exposed to the sun.

Brown spots, sometimes called freckles or age spots, may appear when unprotected skin becomes damaged by the sun. Even light damage may trigger the production of melanin, a healing agent that is also a pigment. Uneven pigmentation appears as spots when melanin rushes to defend the surface of your skin. You can't prevent pigmentation, but you can fade the dark spots and improve skin tone by using topical treatments.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cleanser
• Towel
• Tretinoin cream
• Moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher
• Makeup with SPF 15
• Hydroquinine cream
• Skin moisturizer

Daytime Application

1. Cleanse your face with a gentle, cream-based cleanser. Rinse the cleanser from your skin, then pat your skin dry with a towel.

2. Apply a day cream containing tretinoin to your face and hands. Allow the cream to dry for 30 seconds before continuing. Rub on a moisturizer containing sunscreen to protect your skin from further spotting. Use the cream every day, for four to six months.

3. Use protective makeups, such as mineral powder foundations, to provide additional protection from the sun's rays.

Nighttime Care

1. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and remove any makeup or debris. Pat your skin dry with a towel.

2. Apply a night cream to your face and hands that contains hydroquinine. Do this once a day --- for four weeks to six months --- depending on how much fading you desire.

3. Rub a soothing moisturizer over your face and hands before going to bed.

Tips & Warnings

• Stop using any treatment that causes prolonged redness, scaling or itchiness.

• Dermatologists offer laser skin resurfacing to remove some types of brown spots.

• Retinol products, such as tretinoin, may cause slight burning with initial use.

References

• UCLA Medical Center: Conditions We Treat
• Harvard Health Publications; Topical Treatment for Age Spots; 2007