How to Get Rid of Sunspots & Prevent New Ones
Dermatologist-Recommended Products, Removal & Prevention
Tired of stubborn age spots making you look older? Noticing more and more dark patches on parts of your skin exposed to sun such as the back of your hands, sides of your face and neck, your arms and top of your shoulders, even the V of your chest?
Sun spots, also called solar lentigines [1], are common, but don't worry, fading them is achievable! In my dermatology practice, I help patients get rid of unwanted sunspots every day. Here, I'll share powerful strategies and dermatologist-approved products to fade sunspots and reveal a brighter, more even skin tone.
In This Guide:
Tips to Get Rid of Those Pesky Sunspots
Because sunspots are so tenacious, the best results come from an 'all of the above' approach to controlling sun spots.
This guide walks through my proven approach to combating sunspots:
- Fade Existing Spots: Discover powerful products and routines to diminish sun damage.
- Prevent New Spots: Learn easy sun protection strategies to keep your skin glowing.
- Target Stubborn Spots: Explore professional procedures to tackle persistent sunspots.
Implementing all three can give you radiant, youthful skin again – a complexion with even color and that’s free of sunspots.
Let's get started with the first step now:
Best Skin Care Products to Fade Existing Sun Spots
There are three main types of skin care products to control, lighten, and get rid of sunspots. Use them all and you will get the best results.
Types of Products to Remove Sunspots Should Include:
- Dark spot removers: Exfoliating products that remove existing skin pigment in your sunspots.
- Lighten dark spots and freckles: Products that turn down or alter skin pigment production to help prevent future darkening of your sunspots.
- Prevent sunspots: Broad spectrum sunscreens that block the UV rays which are the cause of these annoying sunspots in the first place.
Your Ultimate Pigment and Sun Damage Repair Kit
This kit simplifies your skincare process and delivers impressive results. It combines all the powerful products you need to lighten facial sunspots, rejuvenate and brighten your skin. It includes:
- Pigment Fading Pads: Formulated with proven lightening ingredients to visibly reduce sunspots over time.
- Additional Products: These work synergistically and are ideal for your permanent anti-aging and pigment controlling skin care steps. They include a gentle cleanser, toner, green tea antioxidants, glycolic acid, a daily moisturizing cream, retinol, and a pure mineral broad spectrum sunscreen.
Follow the 3-step treatment below by using the products in the kit to achieve a brighter, more even complexion and embrace sun-safe habits for a lifetime.
Ultimate Pigment and Sun Damage Repair Kit
3 Step Process to Get Rid of Sunspots
Let’s look at proven skin care steps I use in my dermatology practice to control my patients’ sunspots. Their skin also looks younger and is softer and more radiant because these products provide those benefits too!
- Step 1: Exfoliate to enhance results
- Step 2: Lighten dark sun spots
- Step 3: Prevent new spots or darkening of existing ones
Step 1. Exfoliate with a Dark Spot Remover
Exfoliating skin care will help lighten your sunspots because the pigment of the spots is carried up from the living cells into the dead cells above. Exfoliating removes the dead cells - pigment and all!
Exfoliation isn't just about using a rough skin scrub or shower sponge though. The best exfoliation comes when you use both types of exfoliation which are:
Physical Exfoliation + "Chemical" Exfoliation
Your Complete Physical & Chemical Exfoliation Routine:
For the Face:
Note: if you have sensitive or moderately sensitive skin, physical exfoliation of the face may be too much combined with the 'chemical' exfoliation of glycolic acid. This is why I don't include the Exfoliating Sponge in the Ultimate Pigment and Sun Damage Repair Kit.
- Twice weekly, for evening cleansing, wet skin and dampen the Buf-Puf Gentle Exfoliating Facial Sponge, then gently massage the Extremely Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser (included in the Ultimate Repair Kit) onto your skin using the sponge for several seconds.
- Rinse well with tepid to warm water.
- Apply the Glycolic Acid Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream (included in the Ultimate Repair Kit)
For the Body:
Use my Ultra-Fast Body Smoothing Kit which includes all the products you need:
- Gently polish off rough dead skin cells by combining the Triple-Action Exfoliating Cleanser and Salux Cloth
- Follow by applying my Glycolic Acid Body Lotion
This combination is my favorite and most successful way to get rid of dark spots. I've used them for years on my own skin. My patients and I are testaments to how well they work.
"It really works for age spots! I've used it for 2 weeks, not every day. I put it on one of my hands too and that one has less age spots now than the other." RAM
Why it Works
"Chemical" exfoliation is the use of creams like AHAs and BHAs to loosen the glue that holds the dead cells onto your skin. Then the rough sponge and/or cloth help remove the loose cells with just the right amount of physical exfoliation when you cleanse. When you loosen the "glue" the cells come off better, giving you even greater results.
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and sunspot pigment, revealing a dewy, youthful, and even-toned complexion. Pair this with daily broad-spectrum sunscreen for a powerful anti-aging duo that combats sunspots. - Dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey
Step 2. Lighten Pigment with a Cream for Dark Spots
Lighten your sunspots even more by adding pigment faders to your skin care routine. They decrease the amount of pigment produced by your pigment-producing melanocyte skin cells or they prevent it from getting spread out in the skin unevenly.
- Twice daily swab skin with a Pigment Fading Pad (included in your Ultimate Pigment and Sun Damage Repair Kit).
- At night, apply a scientifically formulated lightening cream, like my signature Retinol Anti-Aging Night Cream (also included in the kit).
Why it Works
The Pigment Fading Pads contain ingredients known to reduce melanin production such as arbutin, kojic acid, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, flavonolignans from Silybum marianum (Milk thistle), and ascorbic acid to effectively lighten sunspots.
Learn more below about how the best products and ingredients work together for lightening dark spots.
Step 3. Prevent Skin Sunspots with Broad Spectrum Sunscreen
How do you prevent skin sun spots? By keeping UV and visible light rays off of your skin! Yes, it is that simple, and true sunspot home treatment must include the daily use of a broad spectrum sunscreen.
- Apply the broad-spectrum Sheer Strength Pure Physical Tinted Matte SPF 50 Sunscreen (included in the kit) daily, to prevent further sun damage and darkening of existing sunspots.
This elegant SPF contains zinc oxide to block UV rays, and iron oxide to help protect skin from visible light known to darken pigment skin problems such as sun spots.
"In my 35+ years as a dermatologist, examining over 200,000 Californians, I've seen firsthand the power of pure physical zinc oxide sunscreens for reliable, broad-spectrum protection that lasts longer than chemical sunblock. That's why they're my top recommendation." - Dr. Cynthia Bailey, Dermatologist and Skin Wellness Expert
How it Works
Sun damage is the culprit behind sunspots, and the key to preventing them is shielding your skin from UV rays year-round. That's right, even on cloudy days or during winter, UVA rays can reach your skin and darken existing sunspots.
- UV Rays are Sneaky: They reach your skin year-round, even in winter, at dawn/dusk, through clouds and windows, bounce up from the ground to get under your hat, or sneak into the shade.
- UVA Rays Darken Spots: While UVB rays cause sunburn and are weaker in the morning and late afternoon or in the winter, UVA rays are out intensely all day and all year, penetrate deeper, and worsen sunspots.
- Broad Spectrum is Key: Look for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
- Zinc Oxide for UVA: Sunscreens with 5% or more zinc oxide offer strong UVA protection.
- Visible Light Darkens Skin Pigment Problems: Especially in people with darker skin tones. Iron oxide, the tinting in my Matte Tinted Sunscreen (included in the kit), can help protect skin from visible light.
Because you want to keep all of the sun’s rays off of your skin when you are outside to prevent sun spots, you want to back up your sunscreen with everything you can. That means wearing a hat and sun protective clothing to keep even more of the sun’s rays from hitting your skin. Seek the shade and avoid being in direct sun when possible.
Yes, it is not easy to keep all the sun’s rays off of your skin but remember, it's worth the effort because:
Sun Exposure + Your Skin = Sun Spots
Explore Further
- Read my guide with comprehensive tips and strategy for sun protection.
- I explain why I, as a dermatologist, think the best sunscreen to prevent age and sun spots is mineral zinc oxide sunscreen in this article: Are Zinc Oxide Sunscreens Better?
- My Sheer Strength Pure Physical zinc oxide sunscreens are made with a patented zinc oxide formulation that is invisible and easy to wear every day. I have different product types including matte tinted, invisible cream, and spray.
- See more of my dermatologist recommended zinc oxide sunscreens and sun protection tools.
- Learn about what the small white spots on your skin are and how to treat them.
"My favorite product from Dr. Bailey is her zinc oxide sunscreen. I love that it contains zinc and omits the chemicals. My 59-year old skin is still prone to acne and this does not cause my skin to break out. It also allows me to wear blush, bronzer and concealer without causing the make up to pill up." Helen, 6/13
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What Procedures Work Best to Lighten and Treat Sunspots?
Your doctor or skin care professional can use a variety of procedures to get rid of sunspots on your skin. You will get the best results when you combine these sun spot treatments with a skin care routine built from powerful and effective skin care products (see above) that also fight sunspots.
In my office, we use cryotherapy for spot treatment of occasional sunspots, IPL/BBL and laser for the 'heavy lifting' and anti-aging benefit. I recommend superficial chemical peels and/or microdermabrasion treatments in between the laser/light procedures and we always create a skin care routine based on your skin type.
I'm going to explain the in-office sun spot procedures starting from the simplest and then moving to the more complex and technologically advanced.
Cryotherapy
Solitary sunspots on your skin can be treated with cryotherapy, also called liquid nitrogen therapy. This is what is done when your dermatologist "burns" or "freezes" specific sunspots. The freezing of the skin with the extra pigment results in a peeling off of the heavily pigmented layers. The pigment cells, called melanocytes, are very sensitive to cold treatment with liquid nitrogen and some of the focal overactive melanocytes can even be diminished when the treatment is done well.
There is always a risk that the cryotherapy treatment for dark spots may not work or may result in a white or a brown/red mark that may be permanent. While usually inexpensive, simple and widely available, this type of treatment has its risks and is not good for every skin type. It's important to only have cosmetic cryotherapy treatments done by someone who does them often and on a range of skin types because there is quite a bit of 'art' in this simple and time-honored technique so experience counts.
"Thanks Dr. Bailey for taking a few years off my face." Florence, 6/14
Microdermabrasion
The microdermabrasion treatment for sun spots is typically performed by aestheticians. Like cryosurgery, microdermabrasion is widely available. It involves a controlled skin exfoliation with a suctioning off of the dead skin cells. Microdermabrasion is done using either salt crystals, aluminum sand, or a diamond surfaced wand. Our office uses the diamond surfaced wand.
During the treatment, dead cells with extra skin pigment are removed from the entire treatment surface. The best results are obtained with regular treatments ideally done at four to eight week intervals. The side benefit is an instant brightening and youthening of your complexion.
In our office, my aestheticians perform beautiful microdermabrasion treatments. I've worked with them to build highly effective treatments that are also pampering. Think of microdermabrasion treatments of your skin the same way you think of dusting your house; dead skin cells, like dust build up and don't look great. Removing them results in instant gratification! I personally love to combine my microderm treatment with a facial every 6 weeks. I love what it does for the appearance and the feel of my complexion and it's so pampering and relaxing. I highly recommend it!!
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Chemical Peels
Chemical peel treatments vary widely so you need to understand just what you are signing up for when you consider having a chemical peel to control your sunspots or other complexion issues. Depending on the depth of the chemical peel and state licensing laws, you will find chemical peels performed by aestheticians, nurses, and/or physicians. In our dermatology office, chemical peels are done by our aestheticians, our nurse, and our doctors depending on the depth of the peel.
Chemical peel depth is determined by a combination of factors including:
- the acid used
- your skin's sensitivity to absorption of the acid
- how long the acid is left on your skin
- any skin preparation done before the acid is applied, such as removing skin oils with alcohol or acetone
- pre-treatment with microdermabrasion
- pre-treatment of the skin with the use of retinoids (such as tretinoin/RetinA) for a few weeks before
Different regions of your skin will respond differently to a chemical peel. The face is actually more forgiving and resilient than non-facial skin when it comes to chemical peels because skin heals from the pores after a peel and the face has more pores than other parts of your skin.
The acids typically used for chemical peels include salicylic acid, glycolic acid, a combined acid formula called Jessner's solution, trichloroacetic acid, and phenol. All but phenol can be used to create a range of peel depth. Superficial peels may leave the skin only mildly red for a day or two. Deeper peels can result in significant skin redness and peeling for several weeks and can be painful procedures. Like many cosmetic procedures aimed at evening out irregular skin pigment, darker skin types are much less forgiving to skin injury because they may heal with hyperpigmentation. Experience of the professional doing the peel is always important, and especially so if you have darker skin.
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Laser and Light Therapy
Like chemical peels, the laser and light (intense pulsed light, also called broad band light) treatments vary widely in terms of both the results you can expect from, and your experience during the procedure. They are also done by a range of skin professionals depending on state licensing laws. In California, only a physician or registered nurse can perform laser and light treatments.
Both laser therapy for dark spots and light treatments use wavelengths of light to target something specific in the skin. Treatments can be ablative (meaning something is actually vaporized and thus removed to leave a controlled wound) or non-ablative (meaning there is no removal of skin).
In my office, we use either ablative erbium laser light to precisely treat the skin or we use IPL/BBL light to target pigment or red spider veins. The technology we use also allows us to combine these treatments in one visit to maximize results. My favorite approach for sunspots is to start with a series of IPL/BBL treatments to get rid of the sunspots and spider veins to give the skin an even color. Treatments also brighten the complexion and help retard the aging process. We then do one to two maintenance treatments a year to maximize the anti-aging benefits.
After the IPL/BBL series, we add ablative erbium laser peels to take the results even further by removing and treating wrinkles. In addition to actually peeling off layers of skin wrinkles, the erbium laser light creates a precise laser injury in the skin that stimulates skin healing to actually remove wrinkles even more.
"I get compliments about my skin from family, friends and strangers. They all want to know my 'secret'." Karlyn
Sunspots: Unpacking the Science
Now that you've got the tools to tackle sunspots head-on, let's dive deeper! To prevent sun spots you need to know why you have them in the first place. Here I look at what causes sun spots on skin, answer frequently asked questions, and look at how specific cream and product ingredients work to fade dark spots.
Can Sunspots Turn Into Cancer?
True sun spots on skin are harmless. They don’t turn into skin cancer. BUT skin cancer can mimic a sunspot. All of the common skin cancer types can start as a flat brown patch. Because sun spots often have irregular boarders and variable shades of brown, it may be hard to tell by looking if a brown spot is worrisome for skin cancer.
Said another way, sun spots on skin can mimic cancer and demonstrate the ABCDE signs of melanoma, meaning that you may need a skin exam by a dermatologist in order to tell the difference.
Also, the presence of a lot of sun spots indicates that you have had more sun exposure than your skin can handle, which means that you are at increased risk for skin cancer in the areas with the spots.
It's safest to have an annual skin exam done by a dermatologist if your skin has a number of sun spots. In addition, your skin will have a unique "style" or pattern to its sun spots. And, your dermatologist can teach you how to better tell the difference between your sun spots, other age spots and skin cancer. Once you know this information, you can then do your own monthly skin exams with more confidence.
What is the Cause of Sun Spots on Skin?
Are you seeing more brown spots on parts of your skin exposed to sun such as the back of your hands, sides of your face and neck, your arms and top of your shoulders, even the V of your chest where your shirt exposes skin to sun? Sunspots are common, they also tell you where you need better sun protection.
Sun Spots on Skin, Called Solar Lentigines, are Due to Sun Exposure
They are flat, brown spots that show up on the parts of your skin that have been exposed to the sun. Once you start getting sun spots on your skin, expect them to darken and increase in number with every UV ray that hits your skin.
Any UV ray from the sun will darken your sun spots. Yes, that means that even the sun that comes through windows, that bounces off cement or water or that passes through clouds will worsen your sun spots.
What About Tanning Beds, Will Tanning Beds Give You Sun Spots?
Can you outwit the process and avoid sun spots by tanning in a tanning bed with unnatural UV light instead of in the sun with natural UV light?
No, tanning-bed UV rays will cause sun spots on skin, too. In fact, tanning-bed "freckles" as they are called, are often more numerous on the skin than the sunspot sun freckles from natural UV light. In my opinion, they also have a really unnatural look. This means that when I do a skin exam, I can usually tell if my patient has had tanning-bed exposure. Think of the cause and effect this way:
UV Ray exposure + Your Skin = Sun Spots!
How Dark Spot Lightening Creams Work
Along with avoiding the UV rays that stimulate pigment production, you can also use specific ingredients to turn down and change the skin's biochemical steps of pigment production and distribution even more. In sunspots, the melanin is too dense in the spot compared with the rest of your skin.
The best product options to do this include:
Retinoids
These include retinol products like my Retinol Intensive Night Cream with the strongest retinol levels available without a prescription. They also include prescription retinoids like tretinoin (Retin A) and Tazorac. Retinoids also exfoliate skin so you are getting a two-fer in terms of how they will help lighten sunspots. Additionally, they are powerful collagen-production stimulators, which means they help reduce wrinkles and other signs of skin aging.
"I absolutely love all your products, my skin feels so refreshed and looks healthy. I have barnacles and age spots that are diminishing. Thank you for your products." Linda
Explore Further:
- Hyperpigmentation and Dark Spots Treatment with Skin Care
- Retinol, Retin A and Tretinoin for Rosacea: Best Anti-Aging Treatment
- How to Apply Tretinoin Cream: A Guide to Demystifying Its Use
- Unfamiliar with retinoids and retinol to fade sunspots? This guide covers why retinoids are such an important part of the best anti-aging skin care routines.
Hydroquinone
This is the classic proven medicine “skin bleaching” ingredient in skin lightening creams and lotions. All strengths of hydroquinone are now available only by prescription. You can get excellent results with 4% hydroquinone and some doctors prescribe even higher levels. Hydroquinone is typically used for a short period of time due to the potential for side effects. Hydroquinone works against sun spots by blocking the enzyme tyrosinase in the pigment producing cells that is necessary for melanin creation.
Non-Hydroquinone Skin Lighteners to Fight Sun Spots
Pharmaceutical grade botanical skin lighteners capable of reducing tyrosinase enzyme activity have benefits against sun spots. These include arbutin, kojic acid, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract and flavonolignans from Silybum marianum (Milk thistle) among others. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) will also reduce tyrosinase activity. All of these ingredients are present in my Pigment Fading Pads. Other skin lightening ingredients include azelaic acid and niacinamide (which can irritate sensitive skin) and licorice.
For best results, tyrosinase inhibitors should be used in combination with retinoids, AHAs (like glycolic acid), and broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen. For many years, the old Obagi NuDerm kit was the most effective combination skin care routine to lighten these age spots. In my dermatology practice we would use a 4-month session of Obagi NuDerm in the fall to improve the sunspots (aka solar lentigines) that inevitably worsen during the summer. The product formulations needed updating to modern standards though and I no longer use this product line.
Now we use my Ultimate Pigment and Sun Damage Repair Kit. It contains all the products you need to lighten facial sunspots, rejuvenate and brighten your skin - including my Pigment Fading Pads. The home treatment is ideal for your permanent anti-aging and pigment controlling skin care routine.
"I got the pigment fading pads as a part of the pigment and sun damage kit and this stuff really works! With very consistent use (I make an effort to use it EVERY night!) the dark sun damage on my forehead and cheeks faded A LOT in just a matter of weeks. It's definitely worth it!" Lisa
Vitamin C Serums
Adding a serum with a high concentration of stable vitamin C can help to turn down pigment production by blocking the tyrosinase enzyme that is essential for melanin synthesis in your skin. This helps lighten sunspots. The effect is mild, but vitamin C products potentially have other anti-aging benefits, such as the ability to stimulate collagen formation and act as an antioxidant to neutralize damaging free radicals.
Vitamin C products are tricky and usually disappointing, however. The key is to find a vitamin C serum formulated to a high concentration and with a very acid pH that will often irritate sensitive skin. It also needs to be dispensed in an airtight container.
I actually don't know of any product that meets these criteria. In the past, I had a vitamin C serum that did, but I discontinued it because glycolic acid and retinol work so much better for pigment and collagen formation and green tea is a better antioxidant.
I encourage my patients to focus on these powerful and proven ingredients. I developed my Ultimate Pigment and Sun Damage Repair Kit to give people a Complete Skin Care Routine without compromise that targets uneven skin pigment and the signs of skin aging simultaneously as discussed in this guide above. These creams are all included in the kit:
This kit simplifies your skin care process by including all the products you need to get rid of sun spots and achieve powerful results for a brighter, more youthful complexion.
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How Common Are Sunspots?
Almost everyone will eventually get sun spots on their skin from sun exposure. Some people start getting them earlier in life. These are usually people with really fair skin. If your skin is prone to developing sun spots, they can start showing up as early as your 20s, though most people start really noticing them in their 30s and 40s.
What Are the First Parts of Your Skin That Get Sun Spots?
Your first sun spots often show up on the sides of your face, the sides of your neck, the 'V' of your chest, and the back of your hands.
These are the areas of your skin that get the most lifetime sun exposure. If you are a man whose scalp hair is thinning, sun spots will start dotting the top of your scalp, too.
Eventually, all of the parts of your skin that are exposed to the sun will develop sun spots. The shaded areas have fewer or none.
"To see the way sun causes sun spots, find someone with sun spots on their arms. Look at the outer side of the arm and compare it to the underside. There are usually many more sun spots, both small and large, on the outer side of the arm than on the sun-protected underside. I like to teach patients the importance of sun protection by demonstrating this phenomenon on their skin." - Dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey
Remember that sun protecting your skin helps prevent sun spots as well as skin cancer, wrinkles, crepey skin etc. Use shade, such as a real sun hat like my Women’s UPF 50 Sun Protection Bucket Hat, and broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen (I recommend my SPF 50 zinc oxide based Pure Physical Tinted Sunscreen, included in the Pigment and Sun Damage Repair Kit discussed in this guide above) on all exposed skin every day. I recommend zinc oxide based sunscreens as I've found them to be the most reliable - demonstrated in over 200,000 skin exams during my career.
What Exactly are Sun Spots on the Skin?
- Sun spots on skin are a focal increase of skin pigment called melanin; because of UV exposure, the pigment-making cells, called melanocytes, produce excess pigment in just one spot instead of uniformly across your skin surface.
- We now know that visible light can also stimulate melanin production that worsens sunspots, especially on the skin of people with darker skin tones.
- The important point is that there is no increase in the number of the melanocyte cells, just in the pigment that they produced.
Moles and melanoma, on the other hand, have an increase in the number of the actual melanocyte cells. In the case of moles, these melanocytes are not cancerous. In the case of melanoma, the melanocytes are cancerous. The cancerous cells of melanoma can spread all over the body and kill.
Handpicked Related Content:
When you are looking at brown spots on your skin, it is not always easy to tell the difference between a sun spot, a mole and a melanoma with the human eye. This is why doctors sometimes have to perform biopsies of brown skin spots to make an exact diagnosis.
A biopsy is a procedure where either the entire brown spot or part of it is cut out and examined with a microscope. It allows the doctor to clearly see what’s going on under the skin to determine if the brown spot is made up of only skin pigment or if there is also an increase in the pigment producing cells called melanocytes.
Assuming that all the unwanted brown spots on your skin are just simple sun spots, how can you get rid of them? Navigate this guide and learn the steps and options:
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The Bottom Line for Getting Rid of Sunspots
Brown spots on our skin remind us of looking at our parents or grandparents. No matter how much we love our family, we sort of hope that we won't have their mottled spotty skin as we age. But it takes work.
The Key to Fading Those Pesky Sunspots!
Sun damage is preventable, and sunspots are treatable! By combining a personalized skincare routine, consistent sun protection, and professional treatments (if needed), you can achieve a clearer, more even complexion.
Create your own skin care treatment to fade your sunspots:
- Follow this guide's steps: Learn how to create a customized skin care process to get rid of sunspots (see above).
- Use the Ultimate Pigment and Sun Damage Repair Kit: It simplifies your skincare steps and offers powerful ingredients to fade sunspots.
- Add in exfoliation: It helps remove dead skin cells and enhance the effectiveness of your lightening products. The Ultra-Fast Body Smoothing Kit is a great option for non-facial sunspots and the Exfoliating Facial Sponge can gently add physical exfoliation to your facial skin care routine.
- Keep UV rays off your skin:
- Wear broad spectrum zinc oxide sunscreen (included in the kit above), a sun protection hat and clothing, and avoid tanning beds, to prevent new sun spots and further darkening of existing ones.
- Use a tinted sunscreen that contains iron oxide to also protect skin from visible light that can lead to hyperpigmentation problems such as sunspots.
With consistent effort, you can get rid of sunspots and achieve a radiant, youthful look. Remember, sun protection is key – it's never too late to start!
It's wonderful because now we don't have to accept that our hands and cheeks are going to look like our grandparents over the years. Yes, our grandmothers did not like those age spots on the back of their hands and they would be so happy to know that we won't have to put up with them in this day and age. Now that's pretty cool progress!
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References
- Praetorius C, Sturm RA, Steingrimsson E. Sun-induced freckling: ephelides and solar lentigines. Pigm Cell Melanoma Res. 2014;27(3):339–350. doi:10.1111/pcmr.12232
- Hassan M, Shahzadi S, Kloczkowski A. Tyrosinase Inhibitors Naturally Present in Plants and Synthetic Modifications of These Natural Products as Anti-Melanogenic Agents: A Review. Molecules. 2023 Jan 2;28(1):378. doi: 10.3390/molecules28010378. PMID: 36615571; PMCID: PMC9822343.
- Mukherjee S, Date A, Patravale V, Korting HC, Roeder A, Weindl G. Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety. Clin Interv Aging. 2006;1(4):327-48. doi: 10.2147/ciia.2006.1.4.327. PMID: 18046911; PMCID: PMC2699641.
- Narda M, Trullas C, Brown A, Piquero-Casals J, Granger C, Fabbrocini G. Glycolic acid adjusted to pH 4 stimulates collagen production and epidermal renewal without affecting levels of proinflammatory TNF-alpha in human skin explants. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021; 20: 513–521. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13570
- He X, Jin S, Dai X, Chen L, Xiang L, Zhang C. The Emerging Role of Visible Light in Melanocyte Biology and Skin Pigmentary Disorders: Friend or Foe? J Clin Med. 2023 Dec 4;12(23):7488. doi: 10.3390/jcm12237488. PMID: 38068540; PMCID: PMC10707362.
- Michalak M. Plant-Derived Antioxidants: Significance in Skin Health and the Ageing Process. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan 6;23(2):585. doi: 10.3390/ijms23020585. PMID: 35054770; PMCID: PMC8776015.