By Dave Warner
Remember the days when you would see older friends and relatives and somehow their skin looked different than yours?
They just looked, well, older. And much of that may well have been because of spots on their skin that are variously called age spots, liver spots or solar lentigines.
So now, you’ve passed the age of 40, and you’re seeing your own skin developing some spots of its own. That’s the age when many people begin to notice age spots. This may be particularly true in places that have been exposed to the sun over the years, the backs of your hands, your face, forearms, forehead and shoulders. Those who hit the tanning salons are also susceptible.
Actually, lighter skinned people are more prone to the spots than those with darker skin – it’s a matter of how much melanin, a skin pigment, you have.
Basically, the spots are a change in skin color ranging from light brown to black, and they are painless.
For the most part, they are harmless – unless, that is the spot is especially dark in color, or has changed over time, is getting bigger, or has kind of jagged border. In those cases, see a doctor because there’s always a chance of it being melanoma, which is skin cancer.
Barring those things, though, you really don’t need medical treatment. You may, on the other hand, not like the way they look, and there’s over-the-counter help for that.
They’re called skin bleaching creams, or lotions. A caution though -- many of them use a chemical that may cause blisters, or other skin reaction. Your doctor may be able to advise you on that score beforehand.
For the most part, they contain a chemical called hydroquinone. You can get a prescription for those products too, and some doctors argue that the prescription-strength formulas are more effective.
If that doesn’t work, doctors can freeze them off.
There’s a fairly simple way to avoid, or at least limit, your exposure to age spots. Avoid the sun. Sunlight is a big contributor to making your skin look older. That includes age spots, wrinkles and looking kind of dried out.
People who smoke have particular problems with skin – some of the issues that come with aging are magnified by years of smoking.
Here’s how to help yourself
Sun is a big part of the problem when it comes to age spots – that, and the kind of complexion you have.
But your skin tone is beyond your control. Your exposure to the sun is well within your control.
Here are a few tips that may help:
- Wear hats, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
- You know the song lyric, only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun? Try to stay out of the sun in mid-day. The sun is at its most intense then.
- Use sunscreen. Preferably with a broad spectrum one with an SPF rating of at least 30.
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