How to get rid of those pesky age spots, or how to not age gracefully

Remember back in the 70s and 80s when we used to bake our skin in the sun and use things like “tan amplifiers” and aluminum foil to get a darker tan? There may or may not have been baby oil involved. We really didn’t grasp the idea of sunscreen back then, outside of that greasy white stuff that some people would spread on their nose to keep it from getting red.

Well, all that tanning, ignorance, and reckless sun exposure has come back to haunt us in the form of freckles, age spots, and “sunspots.” There are ways to fight back – because we are going to fight aging every step of the way.

There are many medical treatments out there that are extremely helpful in treating age spots, including laser treatments, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion. These require a commitment of both time and energy, not to mention (in many cases) large sums of cash. However, for a permanent fix, you cannot beat the effectiveness of a laser. According to Dr. Jeffery Melton, Director of Cosmetic Surgery at the University of Illinois, Chicago, the laser works by:

A laser generates and intense beam of light. This beam brings energy to a specific site, through a small hand piece connected to the laser.The laser light is absorbed by oxyhemoglobin (bright red blood cells carrying oxygen) and melanin/pigment (black or brown pigment found in the skin) causing decomposition or destruction by heat of unwanted cells while leaving healthy cells intact.

Microdermabrasion at a medical spa is also an option for those with extra money to burn. During micro dermabrasion treatment, the skin is sandblasted with a jet of micro crystals which abrades off part of the melanin stuck in the spots (but not all of it). This process also stimulates collagen production, so that the skin also regains density and elasticity. It can take 6 to 12 microbrasions for smaller age spots to be entirely removed and for larger ones to fade. After the first 4 microdermabrasions, many of my age spots were gone (admittedly, these were really small) while the larger ones began to fade.

Most people, however, are interested in solving the problem at home. New products on the market can be very effective with continued use. Here are a few of our favorites:

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• Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum: Nature’s answer to aging skin, Vitamin C provides firming, lightening, and toning benefits. Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum uses 7.5% Ascorbic Acid to reduce discoloration and increase the skin’s elasticity.
• Clinique ‘Even Better’ Clinical Dark Spot Corrector: Dermatologist-developed to be safe and comfortable, yet in clinical trials this serum was comparable to a leading prescription ingredient in creating a more even skin tone. A verified 53% improvement in skin tone. For all ethnicities. See results starting in as little as four weeks. At twelve weeks, see a visible reduction in dark spots, age spots and traces of acne past.
• OLAY Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel Kit: This at-home kit contains six weeks of treatments. It resurfaces skin’s texture and activates surface cell renewal. Your skin will feel soft and smooth after just two uses.
• Kinerase Cream: Kinerase contains kinetin (N6-furfuryladenine) to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkle. Kinerase also improves skin texture, skin tone, and blotchiness in sun damaged skin. It gently moisturizes dry and sensitive or post-procedural skin. Scientific studies reveal that this topical cream works as well as Renova and Retin-A without the side effects. Kinerase reduces wrinkles, signs of photoaging and roughness of the skin with virtually no side effects. Safe to use with makeup or sun exposure. Kinerase contains the nature-identical plant growth factor furfuryladenine, which retards the aging of plant cells as well as in vitro human skin fibroblasts.

© 2010, Retrodivas Beauty: make up, tips, cosmetic tutorials, hairstyles, and everything you need to be beautiful. Some rights reserved. Retrodiva’s Beauty Blog by Meredith Edwards-Cornwall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at www.retrodivasbeauty.com.