Freckles appear early in life, increase in number during summer months and fade in winter. After the age of 40-45 they
disappear, but who wants to wait?
Age spots are similar to freckles. They appear later in life and can occur in any skin type.
If you know why the discoloration occurs and take measures to prevent and treat it, you can have an even skin tone at
any age.
What To Do
If you want to avoid skin discoloration, the first and the most important thing you need to do is to avoid sun exposure and
wear sunscreen. This way your body will not need to produce more melanin (melanin is produced by the body in response
to sun exposure).
Since melanin is accumulated in the upper layer of the skin, you might want to consider skin lightening and peeling. There
are different products that can be used for this purpose:
Hydroquinone has been a very popular treatment, however it can irritate the skin.
Kojic acid, discovered in Japan in 1989, is a natural product derived from fungi. It is gentle on the skin and very effective in
treating skin discoloration. Penetrating upper skin layers, it inhibits the formation of the pigment. Alpha hydroxy acids help to shed the old cells faster, therefore they will be helpful as well. By removing the outer skin cells,
which are usually darker, you will make your freckles or age spots lighter and less visible.
If you decide to use any of the above products, extra sun protection is imperative. If necessary, apply an SPF cream several
times a day. By using skin lighteners and peels, you affect the upper darker layer. Lower layers are lighter, with less melanin
present. If you do not protect your skin, it will launch its own defense mechanism producing more melanin. This will result in
darker and more intensive discoloration which can be even harder to get rid of.
Please remember that skin discoloration require consistent treatment. Once you stop using lighteners and protection, the
dark patches will be back. But keeping up with your skin regiment is not difficult: all you need is a gentle yet effective
lightener and a moisturizer with complete UV protection - against both UVB and UVA rays.