Age Spots
Age Spots
Fend Off Unfriendly Freckles
Some people might think that age spots are really just mini-suntans spattered over your face, hands, chest and hands, but they're not.
"Age spots are the result of sun exposure," explains Eileen Lambroza, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York City. "They have nothing to do with age." And they're more permanent than a suntan. They're pigmented spots that represent an increased number of melanocytes, which contain melanin, a natural coloring pigment in skin that tends to darken after the skin has been repeatedly bombarded with ultraviolet rays.
TURN OFF THE MELANIN MACHINE
There are ways that you can minimize any existing spots and give yourself a spotless future. Here's what Dr. Lambroza and other women doctors recommend.
Lighten spots. If an age spot isn't too dark, you may be able to lighten it with an over-the-counter bleaching preparation--a so-called fade cream--containing a 2 percent solution of hydroquinone, says Dr. Lambroza. Darker age spots need a 3 percent solution, which is available only by prescription.
So go ahead and try a fade cream like Porcelana. But be very careful to follow package directions exactly, adds Dr. Lambroza. Any bleaching preparation can irritate your skin, particularly if left on too long.
Opt for an alpha hydroxy acid lotion. If you want to lighten age spots and even out skin texture and tone, Dr. Lambroza suggests making alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) a part of your daily skin-care regimen. These mild natural acids are derived from sugarcane, fruit and milk. Glycolic acid, made from sugarcane, and the most commonly used AHA, loosens old dead cells on the skin's surface and accelerates the skin's ability to swap them for the new, fresher ones underneath. And they get rid of age spots by exfoliating superficial pigmentation.
What Women Doctors Do
A Daily Anti-aging Routine Eileen Lambroza, M.D. The first face that Eileen Lambroza, M.D., treats every morning is her own. A clinical instructor of dermatology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York City, her goal is to have glowing, healthy skin that resists the signs of aging--including those little brown blotches called age spots. Here's her regimen. Every morning, Dr. Lambroza washes her face with a foaming face wash. Next, she smooths on an alpha hydroxy acid lotion that increases cell turnover--a 5 percent lotion in the morning and a 10 percent solution at night. Then she applies a sunscreen with a sun protection factor, or SPF, of 15. So far, Dr. Lambroza's anti-aging efforts are paying off. At 33 she's a walking advertisement for what an intelligent, knowledgeable approach to skin care can do. Her skin is as sweetly soft and smooth as a baby's. And there is not one age spot in sight.
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To start using AHAs, smear a drop of a 5 percent AHA preparation on a small section of skin under your jaw, says Dr. Lambroza. If there is no sign of redness or irritation by the next day, wash your face, pat it dry, apply your usual sunscreen, then apply the AHA preparation. Smooth it over your entire face, but no closer to your eyes than the length of your eyelashes. Give your face time to dry, then apply your regular moisturizer and follow with your favorite makeup.
If no redness or irritation occurs, begin using the preparation once a day, says Dr. Lambroza. You may experience some tingling as the AHAs begin their work, but the tingling should subside within a few minutes. If there is no sign of any redness or irritation after two to three weeks, you may increase your use of AHAs to twice a day: once in the morning and once at night.
AHAs with a higher percentage of acids must be obtained through your dermatologist, says Dr. Lambroza.
Use camouflage. Some women who use AHA lotions see results in as little as 60 days, while others may have to wait up to a year to see improvement. While you wait for fade creams or AHAs to work, you may want to cover up your spots. Anita Cela, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center suggests using Dermablend, a heavy foundation sold at major department stores. For best results, she suggests that you ask a salesperson to help you pick the right shade and show you how to sponge it on and coordinate it with the rest of your makeup.
Block the sun. To prevent age spots from enlarging or multiplying, make sure that you wear a sunscreen on your face every day of your life, says Debra Price, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine and a dermatologist in South Miami.
"If I could have only one skin-care product, it would be a sunscreen," says Dr. Price. It should go on right after you wash your face in the morning and before you apply anything else. She recommends nonchemical sunscreen containing titanium dioxide, which reflects all the sun's harmful rays--both ultraviolet A and B.
