Age spots and wrinkles are a natural part of getting older. As you age, skin becomes thinner, drier and less elastic, resulting in wrinkles and age spots forming on your skin. Age spots can be flat, gray, brown or black blemishes that vary in size and usually appear on the face and hands. These telltale signs can communicate our age, even if we try to keep it under wraps, so here are some remedies that can help conceal or eliminate those spots altogether.
Topical Retinoids and Nonprescription Wrinkle Creams
Retinoids are derived from vitamin A and applied to the skin to reduce wrinkles and pigmentation. This type of skin care should include sunscreen, as it can make your skin burn more easily. Anti-wrinkle creams may provide slight improvements to wrinkles. However, because they contain a lower concentration of active ingredients than prescription creams, the results are usually short-lived.
Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion
Dermabrasion consists of sanding down the outer layer of skin with a rotating brush in order to remove the skin's surface and regenerate new skin growth in its place. This may result in redness, scabbing and swelling and it may take months for any pinkness to fade. Dermabrasion is effective for both age spots and wrinkles. Microdermabrasion is similar to this, but removes less skin, helping to reduce wrinkles. Crystals are blasted onto the skin to polish it. Then a vacuum is used to suck up the crystals and any dead skin cells. This typically requires repeated treatments to maintain temporary results.
Bleaching Creams
Prescription bleaching creams, such as hydroquinone, and retinoids, which are mild steroids, can be used to gradually fade age spots over the course of several months. During the course of treatment, sun protection and protective clothing is advised, as the regimen will make skin very sensitive to the sun.
Laser Therapy
Various laser therapies can be effective for both age spots and wrinkles. Laser therapy can destroy any extra melanocytes that cause the dark pigmentation without harming the surface of the skin. This treatment typically requires a number of sessions and may fade the spots, but generally doesn't eliminate them entirely. Wounding laser resurfacing techniques can be applied to destroy the outer layer of the skin, heating the underlying skin and stimulating the growth of new collagen filters, helping diminish wrinkles and forming tighter, smoother skin.
Freezing (Cryotherapy)
With Cryotherapy, liquid nitrogen or another freezing agent is applied to the age spot to destroy the extra pigments. When the area heals, it appears lighter. This treatment option is generally done on single or small groupings of age spots, but does pose a small risk of permanent scarring or discoloration.
Botox and Soft Tissue Fillers
This method for reducing the appearance of wrinkles is injected into specific muscles and blocks the chemical signals that cause muscles to contract. Because the muscles aren't moving, they appear flatter, smoother and less wrinkled. Botox works well between the eyebrows, on frown lines and across the forehead. However, results are not permanent and typically last only about three to four months, with repeat injections needed to maintain results. Soft tissue fillers such as fat, hyaluronic acid and collagen can be injected into the deeper wrinkles of the face to smooth out wrinkles.
Face Lifts and Chemical Peels
Face lifts involve surgical procedures that remove excess skin and fat from the face and neck to smooth out wrinkles and tighten connective tissues. Such a surgery typically lasts five to 10 years. Chemical peels can fade age spots or reduce the appearance of wrinkles by burning the outer layer of skin. As the skin peels and new skin is formed, it appears smoother and lighter.
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