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How to Prevent Age Spots
Read More:The Best Sunscreens to Protect Your Skin from Aging, According to Dermatologists
How to Treat Age Spots
There are many ways to treat dark spots—either with a topical treatment (think: creams, serums) or cosmetic procedures. “Ninety percent of what I treat is age spots, but to be clear, the use of both topical treatments and cosmetic procedures will not necessarily get rid of dark spots altogether. Both treatment types will help to lighten and brighten those unwanted dark spots,” says Cohen.
1. Topical Treatments
Start first with topical treatments that inhibit melanin production. For instance, retinoids, vitamin C creams and/or serums, hydroquinone, and chemical exfoliants. “Some of these items are over-the-counter and others will need a prescription from a dermatologist,” says Cohen. She added that those products range significantly in price from $75 to $200.
2. Cosmetic Procedures
Cosmetic procedures are also an option. And although they are more costly compared to topical treatments, they are usually more effective. That said, Cohen advises starting with topical solutions as your first line of treatment: “I put my patients on a skin regimen that includes topical treatments prior to doing chemical peels, laser, or micro-needling because it primes their face. Also combining topical and cosmetic treatments gives you optimum results.”
“Cosmetic procedures can include anything from laser treatments like IPL (Intense Pulse Light) or PicoSure laser, which starts around $450 per treatment, to Fraxel laser treatments, which can cost around $1500 per session,” says Cohen.
3. Chemical Peels
Another cosmetic procedure option is a chemical peel. “My favorite way to treat brown spots is with chemical peels! Chemical peels contain different acids such as TCA (trichloroacetic acid), phenol, glycolic, salicylic, or retinoic to name just a few of the more popular ones,” says Cohen. Some chemical peels contain just one acid, while others are a combination of multiple acids. When applied to the face they cause injury to the skin, which promotes a wound healing response and results in unwanted dark spots sloughing off. “Medium and deep peels work best, and should only be performed in a doctor’s office,” says Cohen. You may experience skin tightening as a result of the peel, and your skin may also be red and irritated and eventually flake or peel. A chemical peel typically costs a few hundred dollars, and like laser treatments, you may need multiple peels to achieve the results you want.
Bottom Line
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