Age spots are also known as liver spots and sun spots. People with fair skin, those who spend a lot of time in the skin, and older adults are all prone to them. However, they are most commonly found on our face, hands, shoulders, back, and arms, and start to appear as we grow older.
What exactly are they and what causes them? What is the best way to treat age spots and how do you make them go away? If age spots have been hurting your confidence, there’s no reason to suffer any longer. Look for all of the answers you need below.
What are age spots?
There are many types of ‘spots’ that appear on your skin as you age but when the term that most people refer to are known as ‘age spots’. The brown, freckle-like patches on the face, chest, arms, and hands that can darken and enlarge quickly.
Why do they occur?
The last time your mother grumbled about you not wearing sunscreen, it’s not because she’s nagging you. It’s because mothers always know better. It wasn’t just about preventing nasty sunburns and future wrinkles.
Doctors have isolated the source as an excess production in skin pigment, also called melanin. These spots also appear in areas where we receive the most sun (face, arms, back of your hands, etc.). It is believed that sun exposure and other forms of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure (such as a tanning bed) are all possible causes.
The next time your mother tells you to apply sunscreen, just do as she says!
Are they hereditary?
Yes, and no. As with the many things in life, it is a little bit nature and a little bit nurture. Some people have a hereditary tendency to develop more age spots than others but taking measures to protect your skin against the sun and environmental damage can prevent them.
Okay, so how do you prevent them?
Sun protection on a daily basis is essential. This means wearing a broad-spectrum sunblock every day on all areas of the skin that are not covered by clothing. We recommend wearing clothing like sun hats, gloves and long sleeves or using sunscreens with SPF 30 or SPF 50 for additional sun protection.
So, now how do you remove them?
Age spots may be painless and are known to be harmless yet they can still be embarrassing. There is no specific treatment prescribed by doctors to help with age spots. But there are facial treatments available that can remove them. These facial treatments are simple, painless, non-invasive, and can offer you other anti-ageing skincare benefits.
A popular product for removing age spots is the Elysyle Specialist Intensive Whitening Spot Corrector and the Elysyle Specialist Bright Glow Essence which use a patented list of special ingredients.
One of the ingredients is the Advanced Nano Pollutant Blocker C2A Complex™ with four active anti-ageing actions that work together to suppress pigment build-up, eliminate dark spots, even skin tone, and leave your skin looking luminous and refined. Use these products for skin detox, skin toning, skin protection, and skin hydration to produce beautiful, more radiant skin.