Age Spots
(Also Known As Liver Spots, Lentigos, and Lentigines)
How You Can Recognize Age Spots
- Dark brown or black spots
- No change in color after exposure to sun (as freckles do)
- Regions of dark pigmentation on the skin resembling freckles
- Usually appear after age 40
The Causes of Age Spots
Age spots are round regions of dark brown or black pigment on skin that has been exposed to the sun. Unlike freckles, they do not get darker after the surrounding skin burns or tans. Like freckles, they are more common on fair skin. Age spots can appear anywhere on the surface of the body, but they are most common on the hand, forearms, lower legs, and face, areas that are exposed to the sun regularly.
Sunscreens do not offer good protection against the part of the sun's spectrum that causes age spots. Sunlight consists of both UV-A (longer-wavelength UV light) and UV-B (shorter-wavelength UV light). Sunscreen usually blocks UV-B but not UV-A. UV-A penetrates to the lowest level of the skin where new skin cells are formed, damaging the skin, and forcing it to make brown pigments to act as a natural sunblock to prevent further damage. That is why age spots do not just occur with age, they require overexposure to the sun.
Herbal Treatment for Age Spots
- Mixed carotenoids: 25 milligrams per day, starting 8-10 weeks before exposure to summer sun, complemented by:
- Vitamin C: 2,000 milligrams per day.
- Vitamin E: 800 IU per day.
Understanding the Healing Process
The easy but expensive way to treat age spots is to apply cosmetic creams formulated to include alpha-lipoic acid, Co-Q10, DMAE, licorice extract, or topical vitamin A derivatives or vitamin C esters directly to your skin. Sometimes these treatments produce visible results within a few weeks, although "skin lighteners" sometimes actually cause darkening of the skin, especially those made with hydroquinone.
The slower and far less expensive herbal approach works from the inside out. Yellow and orange vegetables and fruits and plant-based products providing alpha-, beta- and gamma-carotene make the skin less sensitive to the sun. Beta-carotene, in particular, raises the minimum level of UV exposure causing tissue damage.
It's also important to remember that sugar is the enemy of collagen. Excessive levels of sugar in the bloodstream "sugar-coat" collagen through a process called glycation. In the skin, glycation causes cross-links in the collagen framework of the skin, making it less supple, more prone wrinkling, and less able to relieve inflammation, thereby encouraging the formation of age spots. Staying hydrated by drinking sufficient amounts of water throughout the day lowers the concentration of sugar in the bloodstream and reduces the skin damage due to glycation.
The information on this website is solely for informational and educational purposes only. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. If you feel that you have a health problem, you should seek the advice of your physician or health care provider.
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