Have you ever wondered what are those spots that you often see in older people? These are sun spots. These are like freckles. The difference is, these are much bigger and way noticeable. While freckles can still look cute and can even be a feature in the face or body, having these spots only signifies that, you are already old. It is for this very reason why many people want to know how to avoid it. After all, who wants to have these ancient looking blemishes that truly marks your age, right?

Surprisingly, sun spots do not only affect people over forty years of age. It can also occur in younger adults, most particularly those who are often exposed from the sun without any skin protection whatsoever. It is crucial that you immediately do something about these spots because these things can lead to a serious disease caused by a cancerous growth that can either be malignant or benign. If it is dormant, then good for you but if it happens to be a dangerous tumor, then you must quickly go to your physician for a clear diagnosis and proper treatment.

Sun spots may look harmless but it really isn’t. It is a must that you prevent yourself from having these things on your skin if you haven’t had any of these ones yet. As for those who already have these spots, then do all the necessary therapies or actions that can immediately help you control and even get rid of it. Read on to learn more!

The Definition

Also called as liver spots, solar lentigines, age spots, or gray spots, sun spots are oval and flat spots that are mostly seen at the back of the hand, upper back, shoulders, and face. You will see these on old people over forty years old. Although this is mostly minor, some cases are known to have caused cancer growth due to prolonged exposure on the UV rays. Treatments are readily available for you to try.

The Causes

You must know that sun spots are caused by constant exposure to the sun. Tanning lamps can also contribute to this problem so you might want to be careful on choosing the method of becoming tan. It occurs when the outer layer of the skin or epidermis has an increased production of melanin. It will then form a clump, most especially when the person has been exposed to the sun for too long.

The Signs and Symptoms

The following factors are the telltale signs of having age spots:

• Oval areas that are mostly flat and are darker than your regular skin color
• Visible at the back of your hands, face, upper back, and shoulders
• Color brown, gray, or black

Risk Factors

Everyone can develop age spots however, some people are more prone to this kind of skin condition. These are the ones with light-colored skins and those that are always exposed to the sun.

Treatment

There are five common treatments that are used in getting rid of age spots. These are:

• Medications. There are several creams that can bleach these spots but these are not over the counter drugs. You must have a prescription from your doctor. Watch out for the side effects though, as these creams are known to cause dryness, itching, redness, and burning sensation. However, all of these things are just temporary.
• Laser. Also known as laser therapy, this will painlessly attack and destroy melanin on the spots without actually breaking the outer surface of the skin. Several treatments will be required until the sun spots will fade.
• Cryotherapy. Freezing the spots can destroy the extra melanin found on your skin. It pretty works like laser. There is a small possibility that this treatment can lead to scarring or discoloration so it is crucial that you first consult your doctor before going through this kind of therapy.
• Dermabrasion. This kind of method is where your spots will be “sanded” by a rotating brush. It removes the outer layer of the skin, enabling your cells to replace it with a new one until the spots fade.
• Chemical peel. This consists of applying acids on the affected area. This can burn and slight mistakes can cause monumental hassles. It is of vital importance that your doctor are completely trained with this technique.

Alternative Remedies

If you want to further ensure that your liver spots will fade away as fast as possible, you can try some alternative therapies that can effectively help you with this problem. The best part is, you can easily do this at home.

The first thing that you can do is to apply some good old aloe on the spots. Spreading lemon juice (freshly squeezed) or a mixture of onion juice and vinegar helps as well. Applying olive oil at least twice a day can help remove these spots.

Prevention

Sun spots can be quite easy to prevent as long as you always keep in the mind the following things that can effectively make sure that you will never have this skin problem. These are:

Avoiding the sun. The first, most logical thing that you can do is to make sure that you avoid the harmful UV rays of the sun as much as you can. It is highly advisable that you do not expose yourself between ten in the morning and four in the afternoon.

Always use sun protection. If you really need to go out, make sure you put a generous amount of sunscreen. Make sure you do this procedure thirty minutes before you go out. Reapply the lotion every two hours for maximum protection.

Cover yourself up! If you don’t need to wear a two-piece bathing suit, then cover up whenever you go outside, under the harmful sunrays. Use a big hat or an umbrella. The point is, make sure your skin will not be directly exposed to the sun.