Are you wondering if age spots cream really works? There are some that do and we’ll tell you about them. We’ll also tell you about the best treatment for age spots that we’ve found.
First, though, let’s talk a bit about what age spots are and why you might want to use a cream to treat them. Age spots are simply concentrated areas of the pigment melanin, which is what gives our skin its color. Prolonged exposure to the sun causes the body to produce excess amounts of melanin and can cause age spots to develop.
While age spots are not harmful and do not have to be removed, people often prefer to have them removed because they don’t like the way the dark brown spots look. Age spots frequently appear on the face and hands, although they can appear on other parts of the body, as well, and many people feel age spots in such highly visible areas negatively affect their appearance.
But why use a cream to treat age spots? Well, other procedures are more expensive, carry a greater risk of unwanted side effects, and are at least a little painful. For instance, dermabrasion is a minor surgical procedure in which the top layer of skin is sanded away, removing age spots and other imperfections. It’s effective but it causes pain and can also cause excessive bleeding, tissue damage, and infection. For similar reasons, people often prefer to avoid other treatments for age spots, like laser resurfacing and chemical peels. Creams for treating age spots are less invasive, though, and fairly easy to use at home. They are also more affordable.
Prescription Age Spots Cream
There are a couple of types of prescription cream used to treat age spots. If you’re considering a prescription cream for age spots, talk to your doctor about your options and the risks and benefits of each.
Hydroquinone – Hydroquinone is a skin bleaching cream. It causes age spots to fade. In order to avoid causing the skin surrounding age spots to become abnormally light, skin bleaching cream must be applied very carefully only to the age spots and not to any of the surrounding skin.
Because age spots generally do not require any medical treatment and age spots cream is considered cosmetic, not medically necessary, your health insurance policy probably will not cover the cost of hydroquinone. According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, a 30-day supply may cost as much as $200. That’s certainly cheaper than something like laser resurfacing, but it may still be cost-prohibitive, especially if you need to use the medication for several months.
Potential side effects of hydroquinone include dry or cracked skin, a burning or stinging sensation, redness, swelling, permanent discoloration of the skin, and potentially serious or even life-threatening allergic reactions. Hydroquinone should not be used when pregnant or breastfeeding. According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, you may need to use hydroquinone for several months before seeing results.
Tretinoin – Tretinoin is available in both an oral medication and in cream. It is most often used to treat severe acne but is sometimes also used in cream form to treat age spots. The oral form of tretinoin is not used for age spots, though.
As with hydroquinone, health insurance policies often do not cover tretinoin to treat age spots since treatment is generally not medically necessary. According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the two prescription creams are similar in cost.
Tretinoin carries the risk of numerous side effects, some of them quite serious, including itchiness, dry skin, a severe burning sensation, redness, swelling, blisters, acne, increased sensitivity to sunlight, discoloration of the skin, and potentially serious or even life-threatening allergic reactions. Tretinoin should not be used during pregnancy due to the risk of severe birth defects. It should not be used while breastfeeding, either. According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, you may need to use tretinoin for several months before achieving the desired results.
The Best Treatment For Age Spots
The best age spots cream we’ve found is called H-Age Spots Formula. It contains a homeopathic remedy and natural essential oils derived from plants, which all work together to fade age spots and even out skin tone gently and naturally. It’s available without a prescription, though we recommend talking to your doctor before using it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or taking any medications. For more information about our preferred treatment for age spots, just follow the link.
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