Fading Age Spots and Dark Marks

Age spots are a sun story first. The American Academy of Dermatology says age spots appear on areas of your body that the sun's rays often hit, such as your face and hands. That tells you where to look and what to protect.

Get a spot checked before you treat it. The American Academy of Dermatology warns that using an age spot treatment to fade a skin cancer can give the cancer time to grow and possibly spread, and says a dermatologist can examine your skin and tell you if any of the spots could be skin cancer. Treat only after that answer.

Then choose a method. The American Academy of Dermatology lists two types of treatment for age spots, creams and lotions and procedures, and says procedures, which include laser therapy and chemical peels, tend to work faster, cost more and carry a higher risk of side effects. The American Academy of Dermatology adds that creams and lotions require discipline, because you have to apply a cream or lotion once or twice a day for weeks or months to see results. For the full comparison, read the dermatology academy's guide to what can get rid of age spots.

Terms you will meet

• Cryosurgery: the American Academy of Dermatology describes it as a common treatment in which a dermatologist freezes the age spots, so that the skin heals with a more even skin tone.
• Laser treatment: the American Academy of Dermatology says one or two laser treatments can treat age spots quickly with longer-lasting results than a cream, and that lasers can also cause side effects such as crusting or temporary darkening of age spots.
• Ablative laser resurfacing: the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says it heats the skin layers underneath to promote collagen production, which stimulates skin in the treatment area to heal in a smoother, more even appearance. Its page on laser resurfacing for age spots gives the detail.
• Microdermabrasion: the American Academy of Dermatology reports a study in which patients were treated once every two weeks for 16 weeks and about 40% of them saw their age spots completely disappear.
• Chemical peel: the American Academy of Dermatology reports a study comparing chemical peeling with cryosurgery in which 47% of the patients receiving the chemical peel had a 50% fading of their age spots, and says the skin tends to heal faster after a chemical peel than after freezing.

The guide on hands

The American Academy of Dermatology says age spots can return after any treatment and that you can prevent this by protecting your skin from the sun. Read the hands guide next and carry that rule into whatever you choose:

• Treatments for Younger Looking Hands: Hands are one of the places the sun often hits, and this guide covers the treatment options for them.