What should I do to get rid of age spots?

'Age Spots', that horrible aging sign, which takes place quietly and gives you an older look. It makes your skin look like 10 years older than your original age; and this is certainly a No by each and every woman out there. Yet these age spots cannot be ignored and avoided as they are bound to appear with age. 

What are age spots and why do they appear on your skin?

These age spots are basically brown or black colored spots on your skin and they pop up on areas of the skin that are constantly exposed to the sun, such as your hands and face. These age spots may appear due to various reasons like aging, excess exposure to UV rays, smoking etc. Good protection of the skin from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun might make you able to prevent them, but if you go out regularly without application of any sunscreen then you will probably develop them much early than the usual time. Anyways, they are painless. Apart from being unsightly they won't really bother you but if you don't like the way they make you look, there are a few things you can do to try to get rid of them.

Treatments of age spots:

There are various treatment options available for dealing with age spots, and they are as follows:

Chemical peels:

This process of chemical peel involves application of an acid that burns the outer layer of your skin, in order to diminish the age spots. With the peeling of the skin, new skin starts to take its place. With this process several treatments may be required before you notice any results. This treatment strongly recommends everyday sun protection. There are chances of temporary skin irritation, and there's a slight risk of discoloration also.

Dermabrasion:

Dermabrasion is a procedure that consists of sanding down like planing the surface layer of your skin with a rapidly rotating brush. It is a procedure, which removes the skin surface and a new layer of skin grows in its place. There may be temporary redness and scab formation can also result from this treatment.

Laser Treatments:

This commonly known Laser therapy destroys melanin-producing cells called the melanocytes without damaging the skin's surface. This laser treatment requires several session treatments with a laser. After treatment, the age spots fade gradually over a period of several weeks or months. But Laser therapy has few side effects also, which it may result in slight discoloration of the skin.

Home Remedies to get rid of age spots:

Here are some wonderful yet easy to follow home remedies:

• You can rub fresh aloevera juice on the spots twice daily for two months regularly.
• Application of castor oil on the spots every morning and evening may help you extensively.
• Just mix two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with one teaspoon of orange juice and apply it on a cotton pad and bandage it to the area.
• Consume four fresh bilberries on a regular basis or take 80 to 160 mg of bilberry extract.
• You can even go for the application of organic buttermilk to the spots. As the lactic acid present in buttermilk helps to restore the lost essentials of the skin. 
• Mash about 1/3 cup of chickpeas for making a  paste by adding a little water and just leave it on until it completely dries, later wash it off.
• Or you can simply break the stem off a dandelion and rub the sap on the spots two to three times a day. This method is said to successfully help in treating age spots.
• Opting Chinese herb called gotu kola is said to clear up age spots maybe in a few days only. Just add 1/8 teaspoon of the powdered herb to herbal tea or just add it to hot water and mixing it with 1/8 teaspoon of ginseng and a pinch of cayenne pepper, fades age spots effectively.
• Application of fresh lemon juice to the spots twice daily is the easiest and most effective way to kick off those age spots.

Do anti-aging products work for age spots?

Well the answer to this is a YES, but the effectiveness may vary from product to product. The best way to fade age spots with the help of an anti-aging product is to choose the one with ingredients like hydroquinone glycolic acid, deoxyarbutin, or kojic acid. But keep in Note that some products, specifically those that contain hydroquinone may cause skin irritation; a key point for the ones with sensitive skin.

Conclusion:

Age spots can be faded easily with the help of various treatments. The ones with sensitive skin can get these age spots removed with the help of this list of home remedies. If handled properly with the appropriate treatment age spots face in maximum span of 2 weeks. But if they are not handled properly one may land in a soup.