Age spots are common in adults older than 40. Though they sometimes look like cancerous growths they actually are harmless, according to the Mayo Clinic. They are just extra melanin clumped together usually after years of sun exposure. While not a medical concern, they sure are not pretty and many people want to fade or remove them. Some opt for treatments like chemical peels or dermabrasion. Others choose to fade their spots with home remedies.
Fade Cream
The home remedy recommended by the Mayo Clinic is a fade cream. These can be purchased over-the-counter in nonprescription strengths. The clinic recommends one that contains glycolic acid, kojic acid, hydroquinone, or deoxyarbutin. The clinic warns some products can irritate skin if used long-term, especially products with hydroquinone.
Lemon
Many folk remedies for age spots include lemon. Strategies vary for using lemon, from applying it directly to the skin to combining it with other ingredients, such as honey, sugar, vinegar and even horseradish. In theory, the lemon's citric acid helps to safely peel the upper layer of skin. Two daily applications can fade the spots in six to eight weeks, advise the experts at Mother Nature. The practice has its skeptics, however. Online home remedies guide Granny Med, for example, states that lemon juice's effectiveness cannot be verified.
Vinegar
One popular home remedy combines vinegar and onion juice. It calls for combining equal amounts of each and applying them to the spots. It can take months to see any results, advise the experts at Granny Med. Red onion may provide fading due to the acids it contains. A similar remedy calls for combining 2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar with 1 tsp. orange juice.
Castor Oil
Castor oil applied to the spots is another commonly recommended folk remedy. The oil is purported to smooth the area with the age spots. One remedy calls for applying two times a day for a month, and another advocates application at night under a bandage. Naturopathic practitioners advocate castor oil to dissolve cysts and warts and to soften corns and bunions, according to the American Cancer Society. While castor oil has been used as a topical remedy since the time of the ancient Egyptians, available scientific evidence does not lend support to castor oil's ability to cure skin problems, according to the society.
Aloe
Aloe has healing properties that may fade spots, according to Health 911, a website that lists folk and natural health remedies. The remedy calls for rubbing aloe gel or fresh aloe juice on the spots two times daily for several months. Aloe is present in hundreds of skin care products, and was known as the "plant of immortality" in ancient Egypt. Today, preliminary study results conclude aloe gel helps to heal burns and abrasions, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
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