Introduction
Have you noticed small dark areas appearing on your face, decoletage, hands, shoulders, or arms? These are likely Lentigines or more commonly referred to as age spots; harmless but often causing self-consciousness. Fortunately, Julia O’Dwyer offers age spot removal services at her clinics across Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Let’s explore what age spots are and how they can be treated effectively.
What are Age Spots?
Age spots, also known as sunspots, liver spots, or solar lentigines, are small dark patches of skin that develop over time, particularly after sun exposure. They commonly appear in sun-exposed areas of the body and are more prevalent in individuals aged 50 or above. Age spots indicate the skin’s response to excessive sun exposure and serve as a protective mechanism.
What do age spots look like?
Age spots vary in size and shade but generally do not fade naturally. They are typically oval-shaped, measuring up to half an inch and appear tan or dark brown. You may have one or multiple age spots, which can cluster together, making them more noticeable. People with light skin are often more prone to developing age spots.
Age Spot Treatment Options
Removing age spots can be challenging, but effective treatments are available. One common approach involves removing the surface layers of the skin to shed dead skin cells and encourage new skin growth. Chemical peels are a popular treatment choice for this purpose. By utilising naturally occurring acids and active ingredients, chemical peels exfoliate the skin, stimulate cell regeneration, and reduce unwanted pigmentation. It’s crucial to protect the newly treated skin following a chemical peel.
A course of treatments is required to achieve the desired results.
More severe cases might benefit from some more invasive treatments to begin with. The best results can be achieved by targeting the worst affected areas with plasma or cryo treatments first followed by a course of peels.
Treating age spots with Cryo or Plasma
Plasma treatment offers another effective solution for age spots. This treatment utilises a controlled microbeam of a plasma laser to target the superficial layers of the skin. Plasma creates heat and effectively burns the target area of skin.
Cryo therapy uses liquid nitrogen. Liquid Nitrogen is ery cold and freezes the area, killing the damaged cells.
In both cases the skin forms a scab and then the scab falls off along with the dead dark skin patch.
By intentionally causing controlled damage to the areas of pigmentation, the body’s natural healing process is triggered. Over time, the affected skin resurfaces as discoloured cells die off and are replaced by fresh, youthful cells. The treatment itself takes only a few minutes, but the healing process may require a couple of weeks for the skin to become smooth and free from blemishes and discolouration. For best results a course of peels is recommended following a plasma or cry treatment.
Conclusion
Under the expertise of Julia O’Dwyer, age spot removal can be achieved through advanced treatments such as chemical peels, cryo and plasma therapy. By addressing unsightly age spots, these treatments leave you with a renewed sense of confidence and a fresher, more vibrant complexion. Don’t let age spots hold you back. Book a consultation with Julia O’Dwyer to explore the options and discover a brighter, more youthful appearance.
