Monday, December 22, 2008

Can You Eliminate Age Spots Forever?

Nearly half the marriageable population is divorced these days, with many middle-aged men and women moving into the populace in search of a mate again. It doesn’t seem fair, but there is clearly evidence that youthful looks and attractive appearance are factors in workplace advancement. While facelifts, hair dying, collagen injections and anti wrinkle cream are popular anti-skin aging treatments, there’s still that problem of the brown “liver” or age spots covering your arms. You’ll be happy to know there are some options to alleviate that too.

UV rays, tanning beds and excess sunlight are generally the culprits behind the darker pigmentation, but as we age, the body produces extra melanin, which also contributes to the appearance of “liver” spots. There are other speculations. Shifting hormone levels from pregnancy or birth control pills have also been blamed for these spots. Some researchers even believe that handling psoralens, such as parsnips, limes and parsley before going out in the sun increases your likelihood of getting age spots. Medicine culprits may include antibiotics like Tetracycline, diuretics (water pills) and antipsychotics, like Thorazine. But then again, in some cases it’s mostly hereditary.

Before using any skin treatments, it is a good idea to get professional medical advice regarding your “liver spots”. As with any skin lesion, they could be a cancerous form such as melanoma.This type of skin cancer, Lentigo Maligna Melanoma, generally develops as a result of long-term exposure to the sun. The tan or brown lesions associated with this form of cancer slowly darken and enlarge over time. Additionally, they usually have irregular borders, uneven coloring and are slightly raised.

Once you are confident your spots are not cancerous, there are several great treatments available for lightening and eliminating these spots. Reversa HQ and Neo Strata HQ are prescription bleaching creams containing Hydroquinone–a substance that can be quite harsh. Some patients try applying the creams every other day to strengthen their tolerance, while others opt to use mild steroids to ease the side effects over the next few months, while the age spots are fading.

We prefer Revitol Skin Brightener Cream which uses plant-based ingredients to reduce the appearance of dark spots including freckles and uneven pigmentation. Revitol lightens dark age spots safely while keeping the skin moisturized and soft. I don’t know about you, but when I put something directly on my skin I like to know it contains no mercury or other harmful ingredients. This is a limited offer, but right now they are offering two free bottles with certain purchases.

Our favorite treatment for age spots, however, is Meladerm Pigment Reducing Complex. Using Meladerm you can lighten dark spots and reduce discolorations and hyperpigmentation in 14 days or less. This is particularly effective with age spots, birthmarks, freckles and sun damage. The product comes with 100% money-back guarantee, so there is absolutely no risk when trying it.

Laser therapy is sometimes used to combat age spots or repair damaged skin by destroying excess melanocytes. Laser treatment requires several visits and may be expensive, but the results are effective, with “liver” spots usually disappearing within weeks. This is a rewarding option because the probability of scarring is very low. As far as skin solutions go, this may be expensive, although for more serious cases, it’s ideal.

While expensive and sometimes painful, a chemical peel can be used as well for persistence age spots. Impatient people won’t appreciate this option, but it works very well over several treatments. The chemicals will cause your skin to peel like a sun burn, which sounds disgusting but will also rework your skin into a baby-bottom smooth finish. Chemical peels have also been used as a successful skin treatment for acne and eye wrinkles. It is imperative that you apply sunscreen liberally when you are exposed to the sun!

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