what are best practices for treating age spots

[Raselas]

I have "age spots" on the backs of my hands, probably from time spent in the sun.  They are generally small, about the size of a pinhead, but some are larger, as much as a quarter of an inch across.  They are slightly raised, some enough to feel them, and usually a little darker in color than my normal skin pigmentation, but some are lighter.  They are fairly numerous, and they bother me.  I have been to a dermatologist about them, and she has used liquid nitrogen to burn them off.  The places burned were painful for a few days, then form a scab, and heal in 10 days to 2 weeks.  But the spots come back, whether in the same places I am not sure.  My question is whether this is the best way to treat them.  Would laser treatment remove them?  Or should I just ignore them?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Sun spots or lentigines, are harmless, flat, brown discolorations of the skin which usually occur in people older than 40 years of age and are particularly found on hands. They are caused by the skin being exposed to the sun over many years and are a sigh of sun damage. The only way to prevent age spots is to use liberal amounts of sunscreen before the age of forty, avoid the sun, and wear protective clothing. The newest treatment for age spots is an alpha hydroxy acid gel or beta hydroxy acid gel.  Retin-A cream, alpha hydroxyacid peels, and liquid nitrogen therapy are other options.

If still the symptoms do not improve then pls get a clinical examination done by a dermatologist as without examination,confirmation of a diagnosis is tough.

I hope that helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts.Kind regards.

[jagesh50]

Retinoic acid is the only external application as of now that acts on ageing skin.My experience is limited in this field since we barely come across in the tropics.RetinoA creme is used after a dermatological evaluation.