How to get rid of age spots

Get the spot checked before you fade it

Skin cancer can look like an age spot. Fading a suspicious spot can delay diagnosis and treatment, so do not use a lightening product to see whether the spot disappears. See a dermatologist promptly if a spot grows, darkens, develops an irregular border, has several colors or bleeds. A mole that itches, oozes, becomes painful or changes shape also needs checking. If the diagnosis is uncertain, a small skin sample called a biopsy can help identify the cause.12345

How to fade age spots on the face

1. 1Start with a skin examination. Once the spots are confirmed as age spots, choose a treatment suited to your skin.
2. 2Apply broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day before going outdoors. Cover your face and other skin that clothing leaves exposed.
3. 3For home treatment, ask about a fade cream containing hydroquinone, glycolic acid or kojic acid. Use the chosen product consistently, following its directions rather than inventing an application schedule.
4. 4Allow several weeks or months for noticeable fading. Prescription hydroquinone, sometimes combined with tretinoin and a mild steroid, can gradually fade spots over several months.
5. 5Discuss procedures if you want another option. Choose a dermatologist experienced in the specific treatment rather than choosing by the machine's name.

Which treatments can remove age spots?

Ruby laser treatment is one specific option for age spots, not a timetable for every laser. Pigmented lesions can clear after around one to six sessions, with treatments repeated every eight weeks. Redness, swelling and itching can last a few days; blistering, infection and darker or paler patches are possible. Pigment changes are more likely in darker skin tones. After treatment, avoid scrubbing and abrasive cleansers during the first few days, and protect the treated area from the sun.7

Some fade creams, especially those containing hydroquinone, can irritate skin. Avoid lightening products containing mercury, which can damage kidneys or nerves. Labels can also list mercury as calomel, cinnabaris, hydrargyri oxydum rubrum or quicksilver.14

What causes age spots?

Repeated ultraviolet exposure from sunlight or tanning beds causes age spots. Melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color, builds up in concentrated areas. Age spots are more common after 50, but younger people get them too, so the name is not an admission requirement. They commonly appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms.13

Are age spots the same as sun spots?

Yes. Age spots, sun spots and solar lentigines are names for the same condition. They are also called liver spots, despite the liver having no involvement in this naming decision. Unlike ordinary freckles, age spots persist through winter. Confirmed age spots are benign and need treatment only for cosmetic reasons, so removal is optional, not another compulsory face maintenance subscription.34

How to prevent age spots

Reapply sunscreen every two hours outdoors, wear a broad brimmed hat and protective clothing, and avoid tanning beds. Keep protecting your skin even in cold or cloudy weather and after successful treatment. Sun protection can modestly lighten existing spots as well as reduce new ones; without it, spots can return and further sun damage continues.346