Have you recently been noticing the appearance of darker spots on areas of the skin on your face, neck, arms and shoulders? These are commonly known as age spots or liver spots, and usually appear in middle-aged people above forty-five years of age. But excessive exposure to the sun might cause the premature appearance of these age spots on your skin. The size of these spots can vary and they are completely harmless and are just a normal reaction of the human skin to the sunlight with time.
However, a lot of people prefer to get rid of their age spots because they feel it makes them look older than their actual age or simply do not like the way they alter their appearance. If you wish to get rid of your age spots, then this is the perfect guide for you to do so obtain the desired result in a completely natural manner, without undergoing expensive and risky artificial procedures.
What causes age spots?
Our skin gets its colour due to the presence of a natural pigment called Melanin. With time, as our body is regularly exposed to increasing amounts of the UV rays emitted by the sun, the melanin can form cluster or clumps in the skin, and this is what causes dark spots to develop in the areas with higher concentrations of melanin. These are usually areas of your skin that are most frequently exposed to the sun. Age spots are different from freckles because unlike them, they do not fade with time. Usually, older people, especially women, are more likely to develop age spots on their skin because of sun damage. People with lighter skin tones or having skin that is sensitive to being exposed to the sun are also more susceptible to developing age spots.
Should age spots be a cause for concern?
Typically, age spots do not harm your health in any way, and thus, they should not concern you. However, if you notice an abnormality in your age spots such a change in appearance, then you should consult with a doctor as soon as possible. Some abnormal signs are:
- If the age spots are abnormally coloured instead of being in the usual shades of tan or brown
- If the age spots suddenly start expanding in size
- If the age spots start to bleed
The above symptoms might be a sign of melanoma, which is a grave form of skin cancer.
Natural remedies to get rid of Age Spots
There are many treatments one can undergo to get rid of the age spots that have developed on one’s skin. Some of the commonly available treatments are the usage of skin lightening creams, topical application of retinoids, laser therapies specifically targeting age spots, cryotherapy which comprises application of freezing agents to destroy the excessive melanin, or even chemical peels to remove the outer layer of your skin to make them less noticeable. However, such treatments are most often expensive and come with their fair share of risks, and so you might be hesitant to trust them. So here are a few natural methods by which you can easily remove your age spots without creating a hole in your pocket or any danger of damaging your skin.
Diet
To ward off the age spots on your skin, you should switch up your diet to include more of vitamins and antioxidants. To fulfil your requirement of vitamin C in a delicious but healthy way, you can include a smoothie in your daily breakfast. Strawberries and blackberries would be a good choice for the ingredients. Include tomato in your daily salad because it can boost up the level of vitamin A in your body and keep your age spots in check. Keep munching on nuts like almonds, walnuts and pistachios all through the day to keep cell damage due to ageing at bay. They contain anti-inflammatory properties and help to undo and prevent unwanted skin discolouration. If you consume fish, salmon and tuna are a good option to stimulate the growth of new cells which lightens any blemishes and dark spots. Additionally, food items like citrus fruits, carrots grapes, broccoli and apricots are also great for helping your skin deal with age spots.
Topical treatments:
Aside from regulating your diet, here is a list of twelve natural ingredients that can help you tackle age spots when applied directly to the area of your skin affected by them.
1. Lemon juice
The juice obtained from lemons is mildly acidic in nature. It can remove dead skin cells and have a slight bleaching effect on the skin, which can lighten and remove the age spots on your skin with time. Squeeze out the juice of a lemon in accordance with how much area you need to treat. Now, take a cotton bud and dip it in this fresh lemon juice. Apply the juice to the affected area with it an repeat the process every day.
2. Milk
For this method, you will need some fresh raw milk that has not been pasteurized to purify it for consumption. It contains lactic acid, which can gently exfoliate the area of your skin that has developed age spots due to extended exposure to the sun. Use your fingers to apply the raw milk to the area and let it sit for about ten to fifteen minutes until the layer is completely dry. Gently rub your face to exfoliate it and then rinse your face with warm water. You can use this method twice in a week to lighten age spots.
3. Strawberries
Have you got some strawberries leftover from your morning smoothie? Take two of them and add a spoonful of fresh cream and mix it up. You can even use a blender if you want the mixture to be finer in texture. Now, apply the mixture to cleansed skin and let it sit for about ten minutes. Now, remove it with a soft face towel and pat your skin dry. This mask will prove to be very effective for lightening your age spots with time.
4. Aloe Vera gel
If you have an aloe vera plant growing in your house, cut one leaf from it. Slice it open and extract the thick aloe vera gel inside the plant. Now apply a thick coat of this over your age spots and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Aloe Vera gel has many medicinal properties, and it can remove the dead cells from your skin and stimulate the growth of newer ones. This will help you get rid of your age spots, and you should use this method one to two times a day.
5. Honey
Honey and yoghurt are timeless ingredients of beauty products. They are both great exfoliating agents and possess hydration properties. Make the best of them by creating a natural, gentle bleaching agent to remove age spots and make your skin looker brighter and glowing. Mix equal parts of yoghurt and honey and apply it to the affected area. Now, let it sit on your face for half an hour. After it is dry, rinse with warm water and gently pat your skin to dry it.
6. Castor oil
Castor oil can deeply hydrate the skin, and it contains anti-inflammatory properties which can protect you against the harmful rays of the sun. It removes blemishes and spots and leaves the skin radiant. To use it to treat age spots, take a cotton bud and having dipped it in castor oil, gently dab it on the areas where you have age spots. You can make this a part of your daily night skincare routine for the fastest and best results.
7. Papaya
Take fresh green papaya, peel it and slice off a piece of it. Now, remove the seeds from it and blend t in a food processor until it takes the form of a paste. Apply this on your skin and gently massage it in. Now, let it sit for about twenty minutes. After the time is over, use lukewarm water to rinse your face and follow with a moisturizer. Papaya can act as a mild scrub and remove the layers of dead skin on your face. The new skin underneath will be much brighter and younger.
8. Turmeric
In a glass bowl, add a teaspoon of turmeric and half a teaspoon of rice water. Now, blend this mixture well using a spoon. Dip a cotton bud into it and apply it to the age spots on the skin. After twenty minutes, rinse the mixture off of your skin and gently tap your face dry. Turmeric leaves behind a beautiful and natural afterglow after being applied to the skin. Additionally, it contains antioxidants with bleaching properties that can help you reduce the pigmentation caused by the age spots on your skin.
9. Orange peel
If you love oranges and eat them frequently, stop throwing away the peels! Orange peels contain vitamin C and antioxidants that can remove free radicals, and stimulate new skin cells to form. They can lighten up all the darker spots on your skin. All you have to do it squeeze out the juice from the peel and use a cotton bud to dab it directly on to your age spots. After it has dried in around fifteen minutes, rinse off with water. Make sure that you stay away from your eyes since juice from orange peel can cause a sharp, stinging sensation if it makes contact with your eyes.
10. Cucumber
Cucumber can help you moisturize your skin and also help give you a soothing cool sensation on your skin to rejuvenate you after a hot day in the sun. The best part is that it contains antioxidants that can help you fight the uneven coloured patches on the skin, including age spots. You can either rub the juice from a slice onto the area or simply relax while you leave the slice on your skin for about twenty to thirty minutes. This treatment is quite effective and can be practised daily for best results.
11. Potato
Carefully cut up a potato into very thin slices and moisten then with a few drops of water. Now place the slice on your age spots and leave it on for about ten to fifteen minutes. You may even extract some potato juice and leave it on your skin overnight since it is quite mild. The starch content of potatoes can exfoliate dead skin cells and even stimulate the growth of newer skin cells and this can help you quickly get rid of your age spots.
12. Oatmeal
If you thought that oatmeal could only be eaten as a boring breakfast, you are quite mistaken! IN fact, it has a great texture that is suitable for gentle exfoliation and can reduce the pigmentation of your age spots so that they do not stand out. In a small bowl, add two tablespoons of oatmeal, and half a tablespoon each of honey and milk. Gently massage this mixture onto the skin and then rinse it off. Use this method twice each week to obtain the best results.
General tips
To avoid getting any more age spots, put a strict limit to the duration of time that you spend outside under the direct heat. If you must, always wear a hat and cover up your skin with clothes or a scarf when you step out into an environment where you are exposed to the sun. Apply a thick layer of sunscreen to all the areas of your body that will be exposed to the sunlight half an hour before you leave and keep reapplying it every two to three hours for the best protection. Make sure your sunscreen has a sun protection factor equal to or above 15 and that it contains titanium oxide or zinc oxide as these agents will protect you from age spots. Using oils containing vitamin E can also help prevent the formation of age spots.