Age Spots

(Berkeley Wellness)
Can You Change Your (Age) Spots?

There’s a good chance you will develop at least a few age spots at some point, especially if you’re fair-skinned. Age spots are harmless, but there are ways to make them fade away.

Also called liver spots—though they have nothing to do with the liver—age spots are light brown to dark patches that often appear on the face, neck, hands, forearms, and upper torso. They are flat with well-defined borders and can grow to an inch in diameter, sometimes combining with other spots so they look even larger. Many people seem to have a genetic predisposition, but a major factor in their development is cumulative sun exposure, which is why age spots tend to increase in number and size as you get older.

It’s a good idea to get checked by a dermatologist to be sure that what you think are age spots are not something more serious, especially if they change color, size, or shape. Treatments for age spots have their pros and cons, and a combination may work best over the long term.

• Age spots can be removed via cryotherapy (freezing the spots with liquid nitrogen), laser therapy (which selectively destroys the pigment within the spot), intense pulsed light therapy (which forms a crust that drops off in a couple of weeks, leaving behind normal pigmented skin), dermabrasion (which sands away the spotted areas), or chemical peels (a mild acid that sloughs away the outer skin layer). These methods—particularly cryotherapy and laser therapy—are usually effective, but possible side effects include skin redness, excessive skin lightening or darkening, and scarring; and the age spots may come back.

• Prescription topical medications can lighten age spots. These are usually cheaper than the treatments mentioned above, but they take longer to work and may also cause skin irritation and other side effects. Retinoic acid, in particular, can cause redness, stinging, and peeling. Over-the-counter products contain low concentrations of bleaching ingredients and have fewer side effects than prescription-strength medications—but they may take months to work, and the effect may be minimal.

Words to the wise: Age spots are a sign of sun damage and thus increased skin cancer risk—so they should encourage you to get professional skin exams. To prevent age spots from developing in the first place, limit sun exposure and, when you are outside, wear protective clothing and apply sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher) liberally and frequently. Don’t forget the backs of your hands and your neck.