Author: Naweko San-Joyzbr
Source: articleage.combr
br
If youre anything like most baby boomers, after graying hair, poor eyesight, weight gain and winkles, age spots rank fifth on your list of aging nuisances. But you can find comfort in erasing those age advertisers right from your own kitchen.
What Causes Age Spots
To protect your skin against excessive sun exposure, your skin makes cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes create the dark brown pigment called melanin. The melanin makes your skin look darker or suntanned.
But sometimes, your typical day in the sun causes an uneven jump in melanocytes. This awkward production creates irregular coloring or pigmentation of the skin.
The resulting solar lentigines, or what most people call liver spots or age spots, can appear brown, black or gray. Age spots pop up on the areas of the skin most readily exposed to the sun, like the chest, back, face and hands.
Even youngsters can get age spots with too much unprotected sun exposure.
How to Avoid Age Spots Completely
Preventing age spots proves the best way to completely avoid them. This includes:
1. Avoiding intense sunlight hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2. Wearing a hat and long sleeve shirt in the sun.
3. Applying sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapplying it every two hours.
Precautions
Additionally, note that the sun and excess chemicals dont mix. For instance,
most often in middle-aged women, might mistake irregular areas of reddish-brown pigmentation called poikiloderma for age spots.
Poikiloderma results from chronic sun exposure combined with sun-sensitive chemicals in cosmetics or perfume. Hence, poikiloderma most frequently appears on the side of the neck or on the cheeks.
Sunscreen Is More Potent Than You Thought
You may feel annoyed with the repeated advise of slathering yourself with sunscreen, but a study published in the October 14, 1993 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine gives you reason to appreciate your sunscreen an effective age spot eraser.
In the study, researchers found that among sunscreen users, those who rubbed on the most cream with the greatest regularity had the largest reduction in actinic keratoses.
Actinic keratoses (AKs) describe the rough, red, scaly patches, crusts or sores that measure anywhere from one-quarter to one-inch in diameter. Like most other age spots, youll find actinic keratoses on body areas most readily exposed to the sun.
How To Minimize the Appearance of Age Spots
Eat your age spots away
Research studies also reveal the benefits of eating your nutrients to reduce the appearance of age spots. The water-soluble pigment found in most vegetables, fruits, grain, flowers, seeds, leaves and bark, called flavanoid provides numerous antioxidant properties.
In research studies, flavanoids even prevented cancer formation in animals.
Likewise, youll find age spot reducing properties in soy products. The protein extracts of soybean and soymilk contain several different estrogen-like substances called isoflavones. One study showed that soy isoflavones might lighten age spots.
Home Remedies
Erasing your age spots can begin right in your own kitchen. In Japan, the rice based drink, sake, serves as an age spot lightener when applied to the skin.
You can also use lemon juice to lighten age spots. Simply dab a cotton ball in freshly squeezed lemon juice and apply the liquid to the age spots twice daily- once in the morning and once in the evening. Warning: Lemon juice makes the skin photosensitive so ensure to protect your skin with sunscreen before enjoying the sunshine.
Pull a green papaya out of the fridge and use the fleshy side of the skin to reduce age spots. Just apply the papaya to the spots for 15-20 minutes daily and repeat until you attain the desire lightness.
Of course, since home remedies offer an inexpensive and gentle way to reduce age spots, they require time to see results- usually six to eight weeks.
What To Do Right Now To Stop Age Spots
Because age spots, poikiloderma and actinic keratoses can serve as warning signs for skin cancer, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends scheduling a professional skin examination each year.
You can find out how to give yourself a skin examination by visting http://www.skincarephysicians.com. Use this information now before your forget, because before you know it, the sixth aging nuisance for baby boomers- memory loss-will creep in on you.
Are looking for a natural way to get rid of acne? Naweko San-Joyz has created the only guide to deliver a natural acne cure as unique as you. Get yours at Noixia.com, Home of Six Billion Natural Cures for Acnebr
br
br
br
Author: Marilynn Syrettbr
Source: articlesbase.combr
br
The appearance of age spots is a prominent sign of skin aging. Just like wrinkles and fine lines, age spots appear on the skin surface and stay there as a tell-tale sign of your age, or in some cases cause you to look older than your actual age. Age spots can make you look much older than you actually are. However, the damage is not irreversible. With appropriate prevention measures and treatment methodologies, you can seek to diminish the appearance of age spots and acquire clean and toned skin. Age spots are flat brown or gray specks on the skin that either appears on its own or along with other spots on the skin. They are most common on areas of your body that are exposed most frequently to the sun like your face, arms, hands etc. Formation of Age Spots As we age, the exposure of our bodies to sunlight increases and age spots develop. This is because the ultraviolet radiation of the sun accelerates melanin synthesis. Melanin is a chemical responsible for the color or pigment of the skin. When the production of melanin increases, age spots are formed as a natural consequence. Because melanin levels in individuals depend on genetics, age spots can be hereditary feature. Prevention of Age Spots Prevention is always better than the cure. Therefore, it is better you take appropriate steps and prevent the occurrence of age spots rather than trying to cure them after they have appeared on the skin surface. Here are some tips to help prevent their occurrence. Use Sunscreens Age spots are a direct consequence of unprotected sun exposure. Therefore, you should make sure that you always apply a good quality sunscreen when venturing out in the sun. Use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or more that guarantees broad spectrum protection against the UVA as well as the UVB rays of the sun. Make sure you apply sunscreen at least 15-20 minutes before your venture out in the sun. Slather sunscreen on all the exposed parts of your face and body like neck, ears, hands and feet. Be sure to reapply sunscreens after every 2-3 hours. Here are some popular sunscreens you can choose from: Nia 24 Sun Damage Prevention SPF 30 †This is a physician recommended sunscreen that has a double-action formula that protects the skin against sun damage and at the same time also heals it. It is weightless, oil free, and a 100% mineral sunscreen lotion that gets absorbed into the skin instantly and begins work. It is suitable for all skin types and delivers Pro-Niacin to the various skin layers strengthening the barrier function. The Pro Niacin improves the skin texture and tone and heals pigmentation conditions. It contains micronized Titanium Dioxide and micronized Zinc Oxide in addition to Vitamin C that repairs and protects the skin. Moreover, it contains Alpha Bisabolol that soothes the skin and hydrates it. Obagi C-Sunguard SPF 30 †It is a unique formulation that contains ultra-sheer Z-Cote, an effective barrier that provides superior protection against the ultraviolet radiation of the sun that are responsible for premature aging of the skin. iS Clinical SPF 20 Powder Sunscreen †It is a revolutionary powder sunscreen formulation that contains special UV blockers comprising of 25% titanium dioxide and 20% zinc oxide in a special nanotechnology formulation. It protects the skin against a broad spectrum of sunlight and contains micronized mineral filters that prevent sun burn and protect the skin against harmful UVA and UVB radiation that cause premature aging and skin damage. It is non-comedogenic and does not clog skin pores. Avoid Unprotected Sun Exposure Never venture out in the sun without applying sunscreen. If possible, try to avoid sun exposure between 10 am. and 4 pm. This is because during this time the suns rays are the strongest and most damaging. Always wear protective clothing along with sunglasses and scarves if necessary. Treatment of Age Spots There are many skin care products that aim to treat signs of aging such as age spots, wrinkles, fine lines and sagging skin. These products have specialized ingredients to solve the specific problems of the skin. Here are some ingredients that can effectively treat age spots. Hydroquinone †A popular lightening agent, hydroquinone reduces the formation of melanin and has a bleaching effect on the skin. Obagi C-Clarifying Serum †It is a one of its kind clarifying serum that contains 4% hydroquinone and Vitamin C serum along with L-ascorbic acid. Vitamin C reduces the melanosome activity and promotes an even skin tone. It also provides potent antioxidant therapy. Retinols and Retinoids †Both retinols and retinoids are derivatives of Vitamin A. They hamper the melanin production within the skin and helps reduce age spots and enhance the skins tone. iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum †It is a powerful serum that contains Retinol along with Vitamin C and Vitamin E. It heals the skin and lightens the age spots. Apart from this, it also has anti-aging properties to it. Alpha hydroxy acids †Another great topical option for the treatment of age spots is Alpha Hydroxy Acids. It scrapes off dead skin cells and pigmented cells that form age spots. These are found in chemical peels.br
br
pDr. Marilynn Syrett is a graduate from Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine Of The Pacific. She has authored several articles about skin care products like a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.skincareheaven.com/ target=_blankAnti-aging skin care products/a, a rel=nofollow,nofollow href=http://www.skincareheaven.com/product_list.php?category_name=Sun_Care target=_blankSun Tanning amp; Sunscreens/a and so on. /pbr
br