Do you suffer from age spots or liver spots?

Age spots or liver spots are a build up of the chemical melanin in the skin, resulting in a brownish or black blemish on the skin and usually afflicting people over the age of 40 with a history of prolonged exposure to the sun. Although called liver spots, this condition is a skin occurrence that has absolutely nothing to to with the liver. The main cause for liver spots is a gradual and continuous exposure to UV rays, which leads the body to react with overproduction of the main skin pigmentation causing chemical melanin. It may take years for these spots to begin appearing on the skin, and although a long lived condition in the making, removal and reduction of the effects of liver spots, though not immediate, need not take the same amount of time to treat. If you are afflicted with liver spots, there are several treatments that are popular, with the most effective being the four mentioned here:

1. Protect your skin from the sun. With the use of sunscreen, properly covering clothing, and avoiding sun overexposure is the number one defense against these unsightly blemishes. Be sure to read your sunscreen products, and eye wear to make sure that they effectively protect you against the UVA and UVB rays that promote melanin buildup. Using a stand alone SPF in a moisturizer is critical. If it is in your make-up it DOESN’T count because the potency of the SPF strength is diluted once the chemicals to cover blemishes are added.
2. A proper diet – While not always associated with skin care, a proper diet can go a long way in reducing liver spots. Vitamin C and vitamin E rich foods such as citrus fruits and green vegetables are not only great for your skin, but also help to promote general health and higher natural energy levels at almost any stage of life.
3. Skin creams – Natural skin creams known to help with the reduction of age and liver spots are found many pharmacies, either over the counter or through the prescription of your health care professional. One great substance that is often found in these whitening creams is hydroquinone.  Dermalogica’s Chromo White line has been shown in clinical trial to diminish the signs of age spots by as much as half. To promote the production of elasticity and collagen in your skin, two naturally occuring substances in the body that help the skin to remain firm, elastic, and young looking all at the same time.
4. Use anti-oxidant containing natural supplements. Natural supplements, often containing either green tea or olive leaves are a great source of anti-oxidants that help to reduce the amount of free radicals in the skin that lead to progressive skin damage and lowered protection levels. Make sure that the supplements that you take are composed of all natural ingredients in order to ensure the safety of their use, as well as their proven effectiveness, as most chemical concoctions seem to benefit the marketing department of the source company than they do the health of your skin.
5. Chemical peels have great health benefits to help lighten age and liver spots on the surface, while providing benefits to the inner layers of skin.

Using these methods on their own or in conjunction with each other often help to not only reduce the signs of age and liver spots, but also act a a preventative measure against re-occurrence or spread of the condition.

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