If you’ve ever looked at your skin closely, you might sometimes notice that there are tiny spots of a darker color than your regular skin. There are many names for these spots, but you’re most likely to call them brown spots. While these spots may not be harmful, they do not make your skin appear to be smooth and flawless. This is why most women, like us, wish to have them removed. This article will look at various aspects of brown spots on skin, such as why they’re called, how they form and how to get rid of them.

Brown spots, liver spots, senile lentigo…So many names

There are a lot of names for brown spots on skin. They are called age spots, senile spots, liver spots, senile lentigo, solar lentigines, and sunspots. These are just some of the common names in English. There are many other names in many other languages for those pesky and annoying darker spots that pop up on your skin and make it hard to have flawless skin.

The main culprit behind the spots is sunshine — specifically, the ultraviolet radiation (UV) that comes from the sun. When your skin is exposed to these radiations for a long time, the melanin (the main agent responsible for giving your skin its color), goes into overdrive. This is what has been known to cause the age spots on skin.

There are melanocytes underneath the skin, and they are the ones that secrete melanin. Melanin is responsible for your skin color, and it is commonly thought that the more melanin you have, the darker your skin is. These melanocytes work harder when the UV radiation hits them. Hence, when you’re out in the sun too long, you get tanned. However, too much exposure could lead to melanocytes in only certain areas working harder than the others, which causes the brown spots on skin that you see.

How did you get brown spots?

Now, don’t go thinking, but well it’s the sun that causes these spots, so I’ll just get my tan in a tanning bed. Tanning beds also have the same impact of the skin that the sun has. So that tanning bed could cause as much damage for you and cause the same number of brown spots on skin that the sun can. The tanning bed works in somewhat the same way that the sun works on your skin, only faster. This is why it’s a better idea to skip tanning completely. But of course, it’s not just restricted to the UV radiation from the sun. There are certain genetic elements and dietary issues that also cause a deficiency in the right vitamins that ensure the well-being of the body. This, in turn, can cause liver spots that look dark brown in color.

The good news for you, however, is that most brown spots are generally only caused due to age. So, a little care on your end will ensure that these spots are delayed as much as possible. There are many conditions that can aggravate this condition, like stress and anxiety. Pregnancy, as well as vitamin deficiency and liver failure have also been known to increase the appearance of these spots. Most brown spots on skin are also restricted to certain areas, such as the face, neck, forearms, chest, back, shoulders, and of course, your arms and the legs as well.

Prevention is better than cure for age spots on skin

The saying prevention is better than cure cannot be truer than in the case of these pesky raised brown spots on the skin. Here are some ways that you can try to prevent getting brown spots:

Sun Protection

This one is just obvious right? Since the main reason behind the brown spots on skin is the sun, it’s best to be protected from the sun and the harmful ultraviolet radiations. For those of you who cannot prevent themselves from being out in the sun, the application of sunscreen is extremely important. Make sure that you do not get sunburned, as this makes the melanin go into overdrive and creates more age spots on the skin.

There are many ways to do this, such as using sunscreen, parasols, and hats. Making sure your arms and legs are covered properly when you’re out and about in the sun is also helpful. A little bit of sunshine might not do a lot of damage to the body. However, consistently, over time, it can lead up to a significant amount of damage. That is why it would be easier to protect your body using an appropriate sunscreen rather than treat the spots. There are other benefits of using sunscreen as well, such as prevention of cancer, another significantly more harmful disease than the brown spots.

Dietary changes

There is some research that has gone on to show that dietary changes could help reduce raised brown spots on skin. Stay away from anything fried and golden, but since that’s impossible, at least reduce the intake of sugar and trans-fat. There is an increasing amount of research that has been known to prove that a better diet would reduce the chance of you having brown spots on skin significantly. We all need taste in our lives, but having food that is fried, greasy and oily might not be the best idea for the human body in an overall.

Eat your vitamins and get de-tanning treatments regularly

There are many salons that offer de-tanning treatments. These are quite effective in ensuring that the harmful effects of the sun, and melanin, are reduced on your skin. This could help in making sure that the appearance of your age spots on skin is delayed as much as it can be. Vitamin A is an essential element of the entire process, and any dermatologist worth their salt would ask you to ensure you have a sufficient Vitamin A intake. This is so that it can help in the prevention process.

How to cure liver spots?

If you’re too late and haven’t been able to prevent brown spots on skin from appearing, there are ways in which you can cure them. If they are easily covered, and the chances of people seeing them are less, it would be easier to just hide them. However, if they’re visible and causing you discomfort, then there are 2 ways in which they can be cured. The first set of methods are natural methods. It will be using various elements of plant and animal materials that could also be easily found in your kitchen. The second way is the chemical way. This would require either a dermatologist or someone with an experience of the treatments and the chemicals that you use.

Natural remedies for brown spots

Check out some of the easy home remedies that can cure brown spots gradually with consistency:

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice contains ingredients that can naturally de-tan skin, which is why it is effective against brown spots on skin. Take some lemon juice and apply it directly to your skin. Leave it on for half an hour and rinse it off with cold water. Lemon juice can, however, make your skin extremely dry. It would be advisable to apply some moisturizing cream after usage so that the skin does not get damaged. If your skin is sensitive, then mix the juice with water and apply it, as direct application could cause issues.

Buttermilk

This is another efficient way to reduce age spots on the skin. The lactic acid that is found in curd or yogurt is significantly useful as a de-tanning agent. When combined with lemon juice, it can work wonders on your skin. Apply a little bit of buttermilk with a cotton ball on your skin, and rinse it off with cold water.

Various oils

There are many types of oils, such as Vitamin E oil, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, and almond oil. These have healing properties and you can do wonders for age spots on skin. Thus, take any of the mentioned oils, and apply them directly to your liver spots twice a day. This can be repeated till you see a marked difference in the spots.

Aloe Vera and Sandalwood

Both of these are cooling agents and can help in cooling your skin down. Aloe Vera can be used to treat sunburns, which is why it can be used to cool your skin down and help it heal. Take some Aloe Vera directly from the plant, and apply it for half an hour. If you decide to apply it at night, you can keep it on and go to bed. There won’t be any harmful effects if you keep it for a long time. You can rinse it off with water and you’ll notice your skin feel cooler. The same can be done for sandalwood, since it has been known to reduce excessive pigmentation on your skin.

Horseradish and Papaya

Both of these can also be used for half an hour, and then a cold-water rinse in order to reduce the possibilities of age spots on skin. You can also mix them with apple cider vinegar and apply it to your skin.

Apple-cider vinegar

This is the final, and the most potent remedy. Do not apply it raw, as it is an acid, and can cause damage to your skin. However, mix it with honey, water or orange juice, and watch as your liver spots fade away into nothing. Keep it on for some minutes, and rinse it off thoroughly with cold water and use it every day.

Chemical-based remedies

Here are some of the remedies that include chemicals and that’s what helps you heal your dark spots:

Bleach

The active agent of bleach is hydroquinone. This has been used for centuries in order to lighten skin tones and remove the harmful effects of the sun. However, use of this once in a while is alright, but everyday use can lead to significant problems. The least of which is dryness and damage to your skin. It’s also important to ensure that the bleach is applied by a professional or someone who has experience in its application. Leaving it for too long can make your skin look pale and undernourished.

Laser therapy or intense light therapy

Both of these types of therapies are extremely useful in eliminating the raised brown spots on skin. This reduces the melanocytes in the skin, but does not damage your skin in any way. However, one of the issues would be that several sessions would be required to notice results, which can be expensive. You should get this done by a professional in appropriate settings. You should use a high SPF sunscreen afterward in order to ensure that minimum damage is done.

Cryotherapy

In this method, liquid nitrogen is applied to the areas that are affected, thus freezing the melanocytes. The results are noticeable immediately after the skin heals, which is why it is an effective technique for you. However, you may find may be irritation, scarring, and discoloration that can occur due to this technique being used.

Dermabrasion

In this method, your affected skin is sanded down, and a new layer of skin is allowed to form. This is one of the quickest and most effective ways of dealing with the raised brown spots on skin. The only side effects you will have are irritation and redness which is temporary and possible scabbing. However, if you get it done by a licensed professional, the chances of scabbing would be very little.

Chemical peels

In this method, the skin is burnt off with a chemical substance, and a new layer of skin is allowed to form. However, several sessions of chemical peels would be required in order for the results to be noticeable. It is recommended that you wear a high SPF after a chemical peel, and get this done by an experienced professional. This is because the chemicals would leave significant discoloration on your skin if not done properly.

Final thoughts

There are many methods that work on ensuring that your liver spots are reduced as much as possible. To figure out the best method, you look at the pros and cons, the time taken, and the side-effects carefully.

Now that you know everything you can about brown spots on skin, go to your dermatologist. Figure out the best technique to ensure that the age spots on skin or liver spots don’t affect you. Make sure your appearance and confidence are not hampered in any way and you use easy remedies to cure your condition.