TO starting from the age of 40, but often even earlier, the so-called “age spots”. I’m from cafe au lait colour and over time, if not treated properly, they tend to increase and get bigger. They’re not freckles or nevus, sometimes they are confused with keratoses. Along with the inexorables wrinkles, these spots give a more mature look to the skin. There good news is that they can to preventtreat and even send away. We talked about it with a specialist, the Doctor Marco Ieraplastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, also founder of theCourage Woman Associationborn from the idea of bringing patients together first inside the hospital and then outside, creating moments of aggregation and support.
Age spots: what are they, how do you recognize them?
“Age spots are small discolored areas appearing most often on the face, but also on hands and other parts of the body that are regularly exposed to the sun. I’m hyper pigmentations normally dark they can go from light brown to black and I’m flat», explains Doctor Iera.
What are the causes
They usually appear after the age of 40 on both men’s and women’s skin. «Every cell normally has melanin, a natural pigment responsible for the color of the skin. Melanin also acts as a protector against the damage of ultraviolet rays. But sometimes aexcessive sun exposure without protection generates a hyper formation of melanin which gives rise to these dark spots», adds Doctor Iera.
The differences between and age spots, moles and keratoses
«The differential diagnosis is very important, all the spots must be seen by a dermatologist before deciding which treatment to undergo», recommends Iera. “The keratosis are detected and generally with rough surfacea, unlike spots which are flat and smooth. THE snow instead they are in general darker, smaller and irregular. It is always best to go to the dermatologist once a year to undergo a mole mapping. The most exposed areas are the hands which are most exposed to the sun and the face, but the legs and back can also be affected.
What treatments work
First of all, prevention is important, so care must always be taken not to forget the application of protective products that shield ultraviolet rays. Even – above all – for children and not just in the summer.
Depigmenting products
The treatments topical, with ointments and lotions, which must always be prescribed by the dermatologist and which can also be done at home: there are many depigmenting products, generally based on Vitamin C, or other acids such as mandelic and glycolic. There are those who do i exfoliating chemical peels to remove the superficial layer and renew the deeper one.
The laser
Then there are the laser treatments which have many advantages and allow one greater accuracy: the laser reads the melanin and reabsorbs it in a few moments. There are milder lasers that work on more or less deep layers depending on the type of stain. After the laser, a high sunscreen moisturizer should be applied avoid exposure to the sun. A scab forms which falls off in 4/5 days. In a second session the treatment settles down because you focus on the residual pigment. As per protocol. The best time to undergo these treatments is from autumn to March, months when the sunlight is less intense. The average cost of laser treatment is around 200 euros per session.
iO Woman © REPRODUCTION RESERVED