1. Give OTC Creams a Chance
Most people dealing with age spots stop by the pharmacy first. Over-the-counter creams and gels that claim to treat and clear age spots abound, although the efficacy is at best questionable. Light age spots can be treated with creams containing bleaching agents, of which percenthydroquinone is the best known. Cheap and without secondary effects, the creams are only mildly effective and only on certain occasions.
2. Get the Professionals Involved
If over-the-counter creams haven't worked for you, talk to your doctor about the possibility of getting prescription-strength Retin-A. While the cream is better known as a wrinkle treatment, it can also be used, quite effectively, to treat age spots. Retin-A is usually only used on the face because it's too expensive to buy in quantities large enough to treat other areas of your body. However, you can apply it to the backs of your hands and neck or chest with the same effective results.
Retin-A and other forms of prescription-strength Vitamin A (such as Renova and Rejuva-A) can be drying. People who have sensitive skin might not be able to use it for long periods of time or on certain areas of the face.
3. Make the Treatment an All-day-long Thing
For treatment on the go, look into Quinine creams. While bleaching creams and Retin-A should be applied at home, after taking off your make-up, fading creams containing hydroquinone, a type of phenol, can be applied in the morning, under your makeup. Hydroquinone gels should not be used by pregnant or nursing women or by those with identified allergies.
All creams that produce a bleaching or lightening effect will also make the skin more sensitive to UV rays (both natural and those from tanning beds). Also, keep in mind that exposure to the sun will reverse the effects of the creams.
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