By Valerie Rosenbaum
Once you're over the age of 55, it isn't unusual to want a home remedy for age spots. Whether or not these remedies will be effective depends on a number of variables. There are certainly some things that you can try, but first and foremost, you need to be cautious when you are out in the sun.
Even though they are most often seen in older people, they really have nothing to do with age. Despite the fact that they are commonly referred to as liver spots, they have nothing to do with the health of your liver, either. They are really nothing more than adult freckles, caused by overexposure to the sun.
They are harmless, not indicative of skin cancer. But, the damage that causes them also plays a role in skin cancer. So, if you do see a sudden change in the color or size of a spot, you should report it to your doctor, immediately.
Using a home remedy for age spots will only be effective if you protect the affected area from sunlight. You can do that buy wearing protective clothing, such as a hat, if the spot is on your forehead or face. You can also use a zinc oxide sun-block, but those other sunscreen ingredients are not as effective. Some of them could actually increase your risk of skin cancer.
If you are a woman and the spot is on your face, choose a foundation that contains zinc oxide. There are several brands that contain it. The SPF rating of your makeup really doesn't mean much. By the time that you are on your way home from work, any of them will have lost their effectiveness.
The only home remedy for age spots that is not a commercially manufactured product, but might be effective is fresh lemon juice. It is acidic enough to peel of the outer layer of skin. That may work, but it might also cause redness, itching and irritation. In order for it to work, you would need to dab it on the spot with a cotton-ball twice day. It will take about 6-8 weeks, but if you avoid exposure to the sun during that time, you should start to see it fade away.
Even a commercially produced home remedy for age spots will take 6-8 weeks to work, because that's how long it takes for the outer layer of epidermis to be replaced. That's right. Every couple of months, your outer layer of skin is completely replaced. Thousands of your skin cells are sloughed off every day. New ones are produced by specialized mother cells in the deepest layer of the epidermis.
In a young healthy person, it takes only 28 days for those new cells to reach the surface, but the process slows down greatly, with age. Now, if you are interested, there are some new anti-aging creams that can speed that process up again. Once you learn about that, you might not be interested in a home remedy for age spots and you might not ever need one again.
Valerie Rosenbaum studies anti aging skin care products and the natural ingredients proven to be clinically effective in slowing or reversing the aging of the skin. These ingredients include phytessence wakame, Extrapone Nutgrass Root, Functional Keratin & Cynergy TK. If you want to look younger then visit http://www.DefendYourSkin.com
Source:www.isnare.com |
