According to the Mayo Clinic, age spots are simply clusters of extra melanin within the skin. Sun exposure causes an increase in the production of melanin, which is responsible for pigmentation. Over time and repeated exposure to UV light, some of this melanin can stick together, leading to age spots, or liver spots, on the skin. Prevention is the most effective form of treatment for age spots, but there are products and procedures that can help remove them from the skin, even the skin of your face.
Step 1
Apply a topical medication. Both the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic recommend creams containing tretinoin. When used each day, this derivative of Vitamin A is said to lighten age spots. However, you may instead benefit from hydroquinone, which prevents melanin production and "bleaches" the skin.
Step 2
Try dermabrasion. According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, a rotating wire brush is used to remove the topmost layer of the skin, creating a wound over the age spot. After the area heals, the discolored skin is often replaced with skin containing less melanin than before, thereby removing the liver spot.
Step 3
Use cryotherapy. The Cleveland Clinic includes cryotherapy in its list of most effective treatments for age spots. In this medical procedure, the age spots are frozen, destroying the clustered melanin and improving the appearance of the skin.
Step 4
Consider having a chemical peel. In this procedure, a chemical agent is applied directly to the face, which peels the epidermal, or surface, layer of the skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, healing provides new skin growth that no longer contains the clusters of melanin, thereby removing the liver spot.
Step 5
Talk to a dermatologist about laser therapy. According to both the Cleveland and Mayo Clinics as well as the National Institutes of Health, laser therapy can help to remove age spots. As the laser energy penetrates the skin, it breaks apart the clustered melanin, removing the age spots. It may take a number of treatments to provide the desired results.
Tips and Warnings
- Invest in a facial moisturizer containing a sun protection factor, or SPF. Not only can this prevent additional age spots from forming, but it also protects the skin after using the products and procedure to remove the age spots. Your skin will likely be more sensitive than before.
- Consult a doctor or dermatologist if the flat, brown spot looks abnormal in any way. Though age spots aren't a cause for alarm, they can be similar in appearance to melanoma, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Regular checkups are an effective way to ensure proper health of your skin. Retinols, such as tretinoin, shouldn't be used by women who are pregnant. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is a risk of skin discoloration and scarring from cryotherapy.
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