Reverse the damage of too much fun in the sun
Remember those endless summers when all you had to work on was your tan? You'd oil yourself up, pull out the reflector and trot to the beach to swelter for the next six hours. Wow, did you have a great tan that summer and the summer after that.
Now, fast forward 20 years or so. Large brown or red spots decorate your hands, arms, legs and face. Some people call these age spots, some call them liver spots, but no one calls them beauty spots. They're constant reminders that you and "Mr. Sun" saw way too much of each other.
According to
Koulin Chou, MD, Virtua dermatologist: "Between 40 and 50, everyone's skin starts to change. And, brown or red spots are common problems. These age spots or 'wisdom' spots as I call them are, most of the time, the direct result of too much sun exposure or a shift in hormones."
For the most part, age spots can be bleached with over-the-counter bleaching creams. But Dr. Chou says: "A physician can apply a stronger bleaching compound than you can get in the drugstore and can make sure that the spots being bleached are benign and harmless."
Zap them off
The newest method of de-spotting is using non-abrasive pigment lasers. These new-age lasers can remove age spots with little or no downtime for the patient. A note of caution: make sure the physician has experience with these types of lasers.
Face forward without dry skin
Mature skin can also be dry, leathery and wrinkled from the sun.
Cigarette smoking and too much alcohol also affect skin's appearance. To take better care for your skin, wash it less frequently, do not use toners after you wash, and moisturize immediately after washing your face so that hydration is sealed in for hours. Use makeup and moisturizer with a sun protective factor of 15 or above. To make an appointment with a Virtua physician, call 1-888-Virtua-3.