Age Spots
Most people will experience some level of skin discoloration over time. In a sunny climate such as Los Angeles, frequent sun exposure is part of everyday life, making it difficult to prevent the development of pigmented blotches. Generally referred to as age spots, these brown patches can be persistent despite your best efforts to get rid of them on your own.
Skin tone has a lot to do with how others perceive you and your presumed age. According to a Procter & Gamble beauty study, age spots can make a woman look as much as 20 years older than her chronological age. Hardly what anyone has in mind when enjoying a weekend in the sun.Improving the appearance of brown spots is increasingly more effective with newer medical technology. Our dermatology team has ample experience with age spots and other pigmentation problems, and we can provide customized treatment recommendations. A personal visit with Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald will help you understand your options for age spot treatments. Please call today to schedule your consultation at our cosmetic dermatology office.
Are Age Spots from Age?
The term “age spot” is somewhat of a misnomer since you don’t develop these dark marks and blotches from the aging process alone. Instead, they are a direct effect of long-term UV exposure. Over time, ultraviolet light changes your skin’s DNA “instructions.” Melanin cells, which are called into action to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, become altered and start haphazardly producing increased pigment.
Age does have its impact in making age spots more obvious. Decreased cell turnover caused by the aging process often results in a greater accumulation of these pigmentation markings over time. Fortunately, brown spots are harmless and don’t result in an increased risk of skin cancer.
Age Spot Treatment Options
Dr. Fitzgerald offers a variety of effective treatments to help you improve the appearance of brown spots. Depending on your unique needs, she may recommend one or more of the following treatments:
BBL photofacial uses light to break up melanin granules in your skin. Once broken up, these shattered pigment particles are more easily sloughed off through natural cell turnover. BBL is faster and more effective than standard IPL.
Fractional laser treatments both reduce pigmentation issues and improve skin texture, particularly beneficial if you have rough skin. Potential fractional treatment options include Fraxel DUAL or Halo Hybrid Laser.
Cosmelan Depigmentation begins with an in-office peel to quickly lift excess superficial pigmentation. After this pigment-removing mask, Dr. Fitzgerald will prescribe an ongoing at-home treatment program to help suppress the development of new pigmentation problems.
Topical products will improve age spots and general discoloration over time, but may not be effective for darker spots and discoloration that you’ve had for a long time.
Please contact Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald to schedule your consultation for age spot treatments.
Extra FAQs
Seldom is a dark spot more than a cosmetic issue. New moles, a fast-spreading spot, or spots that bleed can be more concerning.
Dark patches are often thought of as purely age-related, but they are mostly a sign of continued sun exposure. Melanin deposits in the skin can become concentrated due to DNA changes from years of exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Once they show up, it becomes a maintenance issue to keep them at bay.
If you undertake a program of sun protection, age spots can lighten but won’t go away on their own.
Treatment options differ based on the type of skin you have, lifestyle, and sometimes budget. Fraxel laser, microneedling, chemical peels, and RX topicals are most effective. Lighter spots can sometimes be blended by using products that contain lightening agents like alpha arbutin, azelaic acid, thiamodol, etc.
Sun avoidance and adequate sun protection are the best steps. Avoid midday sun, pop on a hat—basically anything you can do to lessen sun exposure, the better. It’s a life-long effort.
Only to a degree. Stubborn spots are usually too deep to benefit much from over-the-counter creams or lotions.
Again, this depends on how dense the spots are. Treatments like pico laser or Fraxel break up melanin so the body can more easily do its typical clean-up. Think weeks rather than days, and think multiple treatment sessions instead of just a single one.
There can be discomfort with laser and microneedling, and often, you’ll have numbing cream applied prior to procedures.
Age spots show up “later” and are a lifestyle consequence. Freckles become apparent generally at a young age and are built into your genetic structure.
