Age spots on the skin – why do they appear and can you get rid of them

6 minutes read

Human skin is a complex organ. It protects internal processes from the influences of the external environment. Reaching a certain age, the human body wears out, and some processes do not function properly. Withering of the skin is an inevitable natural course of things, accompanied by age spots on certain parts of the body.

Photo from boombate.com

A spot is the primary element that is manifested by a color change on the affected area of the skin. Upon reaching the age of 40, light or dark brown spots appear on the skin, localized on the body – this is age-related pigmentation. In common people, they are called senile buckwheat or sun spots. In medicine, this disease is referred to as lentigo.

Let’s carefully study the nature of the origin of age spots, their types and effective ways to eliminate them.

What are senile spots

The name itself speaks for itself. This is a type of blemish that appears between the ages of 40 and older, regardless of skin type. Melanin plays the main role in the formation of age spots; with age, it cannot be evenly distributed over the entire skin and begins to accumulate in some parts of the body, thereby causing age spots.

These are formations that do not harm the body. They only spoil the aesthetic appearance. Age spots are mainly located on prominent areas of the body such as the face, arms, back, shoulders, neck or legs. Depending on the season, the color of the age spots remains unchanged.

Types of stains

Dermatologists distinguish the following types of age spots:

Keratoma (ceratoma) – neoplasms of gray-yellow color, usually benign, covered with scales. Typical for people 40+. Localized on the face, trunk and extremities. They have the ability to grow, change color, shape, and degenerate into a malignant tumor. When a keratoma develops, it should be removed to avoid negative consequences.
Xanthelasma (xanthelasma) – smooth oval or ribbon-like plaques, yellow and orange. Soft and firm when touched. Mostly located in the inner corner of the eye.
Senile hyperpigmentation – senile freckles. The favorite location is the back of the hand, hand and forearm. Ultraviolet rays and any processes that irritate the upper layers of the skin can provoke spots.

There are many types of age spots. And the methods of dealing with them are individual. In order to prevent the appearance and treatment of spots in the future, it is necessary to follow a few simple rules:

Try not to be in direct sunlight for extended periods. If this is unavoidable, then be sure to use sunscreen with a high degree of UV protection.
Go in for sports.
Monitor your diet and overall health. Pay special attention to the liver.

What is the reason for the appearance of age spots?

Why spots appear and what they can tell

One of the main reasons for the appearance of age spots on the skin is the colossal hormonal changes in the body of a woman who has reached a certain age. This in turn affects melanin, the pigment that affects the color of the skin, hair and iris. Lack of vitamin E can be the trigger for their appearance.

Nowadays, cosmetology is rich in skin care procedures and most from a young age cannot imagine life without them. However, with age, age spots still appear, someone is 40 years old and older, and someone became the “lucky owner” of these brown spots a little earlier than the due date. Why?

In addition to hormonal imbalances and lack of vitamins, there are a number of other causes of age spots:

Prolonged sun exposure.
Improper functioning of the thyroid gland.
Liver or kidney disease.
Problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Bad habits can affect hyperpigmentation:

UV radiation. Constant trips to the solarium can result in early senile skin pigmentation in the future.
Improper skin and body care. In summer, you should refrain from peeling and thermal procedures. Eliminate any actions that injure the skin.
Stress.
Poor quality, “cheap” cosmetics.
Eating food with a lack of vitamins.
Infectious diseases and taking antibiotics.

Some age spots signal malfunctions in the body that must be eliminated in time.

For example:

Overweight people may have yellow spots, which indicate high blood cholesterol levels and abnormalities in the digestive tract.
If spots around the mouth are clearly visible on the face in the mirror, this indicates the presence of polyps in the body.
Brown spots on the outside of the hand and forearm may indicate liver disease.
Light spots scattered all over the body are a sign of vitamin deficiency.

How to get rid of

Faced with age-related pigmentation of the skin of the face, hands and body, it is necessary to take effective measures to combat this ailment:

Folk remedies.
Whitening creams.
Peeling (chemical, laser, ultrasonic).
Phototherapy.
Cryotherapy.
Mesotherapy.
Dermabrasion.

Cosmetics

Brightening creams help remove age spots on the face and hands. This is the most gentle method to combat age spots on the skin. The creams contain hydroquinone, which inhibits the synthesis of melanin.

This substance has been used as a whitening ingredient since 1961. Since the substance is toxic, only its concentrate is used in cosmetology, or rather 2–4% of hydroquinone. If the concentrate is exceeded even by 1%, you can get the opposite result – complete destruction of melanocytes.

Also, the main components of lightening creams are:

Hydrogen peroxide.
Kojic acid is actively used in the preparation of sake. Brightens the skin, however, it can provoke allergic reactions and skin irritation.
Arbutin is not poisonous and stops melanin synthesis. Its effectiveness is less in comparison with hydroquinone, since it is a plant substance.
Tretionin.

Any cosmetic product is a complex composition. Therefore, consult your doctor before using a cream for age spots on your face. And it is better to involve several specialists, such as a dermatocosmetologist, therapist, gynecologist, endocrinologist.

In some cases, skin whitening is already powerless, then more effective methods should be considered. Sometimes, to remove age spots on the face, it is better to resort to peeling. Basically, three types are used: chemical, laser, ultrasonic.

Chemical peeling

chemical peeling - an effective procedure for age spots on the skin

Photo from skinbycarla.com

This is a procedure that allows you to remove age spots on the hands and other parts of the body. The point of peeling is to apply a chemical to the skin that contains bleaching ingredients.

Ultrasonic peeling

After cleansing the skin, the cosmetologist, using an ultrasound machine, injects a concentrate of whitening substances into the lower layers of the epidermis, which removes age spots on the face.

Laser peeling

One of the most effective methods. Therefore, it has a high cost for the procedure. Its advantage is its one-shot. The principle of operation is based on burning out age spots on the face, arms, back and body.

The average cost for all types of peeling is from 3,000 rubles.

Phototherapy

Cosmetology has stepped forward by using this method. Ultraviolet rays, which are the “culprits” of the appearance of age spots on the face after 40, in this case help to fight them with the same UV rays.

They act only on melanin, painlessly lightening pigmented skin areas. The patient feels a slight tingling sensation. The price for this procedure depends on the part of the body chosen by the client, on average from 5,000 rubles.

Cryotherapy

The procedure is based on a point effect with liquid nitrogen. The result will not be long in coming, pigmented skin exfoliates and falls off within a certain time. The procedure is available to all segments of the population. Average cost from 200 rubles.

Mesotherapy

It is only suitable for people with sensitive skin types. These are injections with a bleaching solution that are injected subcutaneously. The price for injections starts from 1,400 rubles.

Dermabrasion

A very painful procedure, performed by a doctor under general anesthesia. In cosmetology it is “heavy artillery”, it is a mechanical peeling with whitening crystals. Calculated from 2,000 rubles. for 1 cm²skin.

The cosmetic procedures described above should be carried out after careful consultation with specialists. Initially, you need to find out the main cause of age spots on the face after 40.

Perhaps there is a disease of the digestive system or some other processes in the body are disrupted – then the use of all these procedures will be a useless waste of time, money and nerves.

Folk remedies

Conventional folk remedies that can be used at home and completely painlessly will help get rid of age spots:

Fruits… Fruit juice is used, as it contains many natural brighteners that masterfully fight age spots. Lemon, apricot, kiwi or papaya juice is great. Make a mask or just use it as a drink.
Castor oil… This oil not only removes age spots on the face, but also evens out skin tone, gives freshness and shine. Prepare a mask from castor oil and leave it overnight.
Lactic acid helps to treat age-related pigmentation on the face. It is contained in many products such as sour cream, yogurt, kefir, yogurt.

Prevention

We learned what age spots are, their types and methods of dealing with them in all possible ways. To protect your skin, or at least prevent the early appearance of senile pigmentation on the body, you should:

Balance your diet.
Do sport.
Get enough sleep.
Do not run chronic diseases.

Age spots are not a sentence, not an incurable disease, you should not give up and be depressed. There are many ways to get rid of them permanently. Don’t ignore the tips above and your skin will thank you.

: Regina Belyavskaya, cosmetologist,
.ru