Decades ago, brown spots on the skin were often referred to as ‘liver spots. They were the hallmark of aging skin that many people dreaded.  With each passing birthday, new spots often appear on the hands, chest, and face. Typically, the brown spots start to occur around the age of 50, but if you were an avid sun worshiper in your youth then the discolorations can occur even younger.

Ways to Get Rid of Skin Brown Spots

Don’t let brown spots depress you because nowadays there are options to reduce their appearance or eliminate them completely from your skin’s surface. Looking younger has never been easier with the wide array of cosmetic products and procedures.

Here are just a few ways to treat age spots: 

• Over-the-counter creams: When brown spots first appear, you can turn to drugstore products to reduce their appearance with some success. Formulas that contain hydroquinone, glycolic acid, and kojic acid help fade the discolorations. However, use the creams with caution because they can irritate the skin. Retinoids are also another option.
• Laser and intense pulsed light therapy: Laser and intense pulsed light therapy effectively destroy the melanin-producing cells in your skin that cause the discolorations. The brown spots usually start to fade within a week or month after treatment. You may need two to three treatments to effectively remove the areas. There are very few side effects with laser and intense pulsed light therapy so you can return to work and daily life following the treatment.
• Freezing (cryotherapy): An aesthetic professional will apply liquid nitrogen or some other freezing formula directly to the spot to destroy the color pigment in the skin. Following the freezing procedure, it takes your skin time to heal. However, the new skin that forms will be lighter in color. This method is typically used to treat only one or a few age spots.
• Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion: Dermabrasion involve removing the surface layer of your skin with a brush-like mechanism. The new layer that replaces the removed skin appears blemish free. Although, some patients do require more than one treatment. After dermabrasion, you may experience scabbing and skin irritation. Microdermabrasion is less intense than dermabrasion and may require several treatments to reduce the brown spot’s appearance. These methods are ideal if you have numerous spots that you wish to remove at once.
• Chemical peels: An aesthetic professional will apply a chemical formula to your skin that lifts away the outer layer of skin to remove age spots, plus fine lines, wrinkles, and other imperfections. After the superficial top layer is removed, the new layer will regrow blemish free. Many people do require more than one chemical peel to obtain the results they desire. This method is also perfect if you have an abundance of brown spots.

Prevention of Age Spots

No matter what your age, it is imperative that you protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Even if you have your brown spots removed using one of the treatments above, sun exposure can cause the spots to reform and new ones to also develop.

Any time you go out in the sun you should always use a broad-spectrum sun screen with an SPF of 30 or higher. In addition, you can wear a hat and long sleeves to further cover your skin from the sun’s rays.

If you have brown spots and you would like to explore your options to treat the skin discolorations, then please call the skin care professionals at the Laser Vein & Skin Clinic to book a consultation. We are happy to discuss your many options.