Liver Spots: Treatment Options

Those level lesions which usually range in color from brown to gray to black are called liver spots but most ordinarily known as age spots. These lesions are most commonly found in the areas of the body that are exposed to the sun most of the time. The face, hands and arms are the classic problem areas. A liver spot’s shape is oblong and its size range is from very minute to one centimeter in diameter. Lastly, we see evidence that the skin obtained significant damage such as the appearance of wrinkles and the manifestation of dry skin.

The liver plays no part in the formation of liver spots in spite of what the name suggests. Why do liver spots appear then? Our skin contains melanin, the pigment responsible for giving our skin its current color. However, when our skin is frequently exposed to the damaging rays of the sun – the ultraviolet rays – the generation of this pigment is increased. This then gives way the development of age spots. But this is not an immediate process. Instead, it takes years of cumulative sun exposure. Therefore, the damage your skin obtains today will produce age spots only after years have passed. You might be surprised to know that this is not only caused by the sun. Even tanning booths popular to white individuals are to blame. Then the last cause is age.

Although liver spots do not pose any threat or do not bring upon, they instead negatively change your physical appearance and can make you look older than your years. Because of these, individuals who have liver spots decide to choose from the available treatment options to either lighten the spots or totally remove them. However, every treatment has a price.

One is the utilization of medicated liver spot removal creams or lotions that physicians prescribe. These creams containing hydroquinone, tretinoin or cortisone range from around ninety to two hundred dollars. Chemical peels are also present. The price is not standardized and fluctuates depending if it is a light peel, medium peel or deep peel. This utilization of chemicals to lightly strip off the skin costs about two to three hundred dollars. The next more high-priced peel, the medium peel, is about five hundred to thousand dollars. For three to six thousand dollars, you can procure deep chemical peels. Laser therapy is also used to perform superfluous skin melanocytes eradication. For a hundred dollars per session, you can heal a small area of your skin with laser. You can also decide to use light instead of laser – intense pulsed light therapy – which amounts to less than a hundred dollars per small area.

However, these price ranges are not definitive. There are factors which affect the costing and these are the size of affected area, the chemicals or materials to be used, the doctors’ fees or even the cost of living in the residence you live in. Why not question your doctor?

Information About Liver Spots

How To Avoid Having Liver Spots

The Best Treatments For Melasma

Melasma, also popularly called chloasma or pregnancy mask, is a hyperpigmentation of the skin making the skin’s color unbalanced. When melasma happens when a woman is pregnant, it is called chloasma. It shows as a dark-colored blotch, usually brown with irregular borders. It is typically found on the facial area particularly the cheeks, chin, forehead, nose and lips. But it is a relatively good thing for it is not malignant, not tender, not itchy and not accompanied with other symptoms but the unsightly patch itself. Gender-wise, women are more involved most especially those that are carrying a child or are taking medication either for birth control or supplying hormones after menopause.

Melasma manifests slowly. Several studies report that they still cannot give the stringent cause of melasma but can only give its most feasible causes based on the cases. The most well-known is the overproduction of melanin when there is overexposure to the sun. The same reason, melanin overproduction, but this time, a different cause – the hormones estrogen and progesterone – is another feasible explanation for melasma growth. Another influential cause is the history of acquiring melasma in the family. Another cause is having a disorder involving the thyroid glands which leads to an excess production of the hormone that stimulates the melanocytes – the cells that produce melanin.

In today’s time, anyone can choose from various treatment modalities to accelerate the “removal” of melasma. Utilizing topical creams consisting of hydroquinone, tretinoin, or azelaic acid are the main treatments. Hydroquinone’s effectiveness rests on its capacity to stop tyrosinase functioning which then stops the generation of melanin. The available strengths of hydroquinone in topical creams are two percent, four percent and higher than four percent. With rising concentrations, success rises together with the chances of adverse effects. Tretinoin’s mechanism, on the other hand, is through the increased manufacture of collagen and the removal of keratin on the skin’s epidermis – the topmost layer. But tretinoin cannot beat the strength of hydroquinone. As a result, tretinoin comes in combination with hydroquinone. Azelaic acid’s mode of action is the decrease in the normal functioning of the melanocytes and this is proven to be more effective than the two percent concentration of hydroquinone. But all these three have minor negative effects such as skin irritation, itching and redness. Chemical peels are now attainable to help remove the appearance of melasma by mildly exfoliating the skin. The doctor evaluates if he or she would use a light, medium or deep type of chemical peel. Having the same mode of action as chemical peels, dermabrasion exfoliates the skin but with the use of a vacuum and a scraper – a manual process. Another treatment mode is laser therapy but which does not generate successful outcomes and at the same time, increases your risks for acquiring possible complications. However, most of these treatments, especially the use of chemicals or laser, can possibly lead to complications such as scars, tissue death and further skin pigmentation if not properly used. Moreover, they are much more expensive. Therefore, doctors still recommend topical creams containing hydroquinone despite few reported side effects.

But whichever of the aforementioned treatment options you choose, keep in mind that effects are achieved slowly for melasma’s development is also a slow process. Lastly, to not waste the work being done by the treatment, stringent avoidance of the sun is recommended.

What You Need To Know About Melasma

Treating the Skin Condition of Melasma

How To Avoid Age Spots On Holiday

Do you dread that those unattractive age spots will in the course of time manifest on your skin? Is it petrifying just imagining yourself applying concealer on your skin just so you can hide those age spots? Don’t you want to experience the stress of wasting a lot of money just so your skin can return to its clear, radiant state? Or do you worry that complications, even though how insignificant they may be, might arise from these treatments? If all your answers are affirmative, protect your skin starting now!

So how do you avoid age spots? Easy: do not allow the sun harm your skin. Do not allow penetration of the sun’s ultraviolet rays into your skin. But how do you do this when you are on holiday? Should you just wait until the sun comes down before you swim or parade your new swimsuit? Or should you just completely forget the thought of swimming in the waters? That should not be the scenario! All you have to do is conform with these guidelines below to avoid age spots.

Since you are going for a get-away, you have to prepare all the things that you will need. Sunscreen should be the number one on your to-bring list whatever your vacation plans might be. Make sure to read the label when buying sunscreens. See if that sunscreen you are holding contains titanium dioxide. This is evidence that this sunscreen is a broad-spectrum sunscreen which reflects both UVA and UVB rays. Lastly, make sure it has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least fifteen.

Now, before exposing yourself to the sun, do not let slip from your memory to apply the sunscreen onto every part of your body, most especially the face. Do this twenty to thirty minutes prior to heading outdoors. Sometimes, it may be less than or more than twenty to thirty minutes, depending on the creator of the sunscreen. Still following the label, reapply the lotion as necessary. Most sunscreens are reapplied after one or two hours. Well, you should not really hold back until sunset, but waiting until you reach a later time, might help in better protecting your skin. The sun is at its most damaging strength from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon. It is therefore preferred not to go out during this time. If your holiday vacation involves other activities but swimming, you should wear clothing that can cover almost everything, if not all parts of your body.

If you cannot avoid your skin’s exposure to the sun, do not forget these recommendations. And even if you would just be loitering inside your house, use a sunscreen but with a sun protection factor of at least five to ten. So, if you are that petrified of having age spots, remember and follow this article by heart!

Can Age Spots Be Cancerous?

Age Spots – Symptoms and Cures

Hydroquinone For Age Spots: Good Or Bad?

I am quite sure that if you are or had been suffering from age spots or other problems involving the skin, you most undeniably have crossed paths with the term hydroquinone. But if not, this is certainly the first time you will hear of this term. Hydroquinone, a chemical compound, has been very helpful in the discipline of medicine, particularly in dermatology, and in other several industries as well. Thanks to its general skin bleaching properties, it has been credited as a considerable skin whitening method along with a few other chemicals. It is particularly effective in helping individuals be free from the appearance of age spots, unwanted dark skin lesions and patchy skin color.

Hydroquinone is found in topical creams alone or combined with other chemical compounds. You can select from topical creams that have two percent, four percent or even greater percentage of hydroquinone content. Hydroquinone two percent is available as an over-the-counter drug in some countries. On the other hand, topical creams with strengths of four percent or greater, are at one’s disposal only if you have been prescribed by a doctor. And other doctors themselves sell these topical applications that have higher concentrations of hydroquinone.

The reason why hydroquinone is used in dermatology is chiefly because of its capacity to reduce the generation of the pigment naturally-occuring in the skin, melanin – giving our skin its color. Tyrosinase is the enzyme that generates melanin and hydroquinone obstructs it from doing so. You start to see its effectiveness after applying the hydroquinone for one month. Therefore, doctors recommend this treatment mode for its effectiveness and considerably harmless property.

Though it may be really effective, some are still worried about its possible ill effects to the users’ health. Because hydroquinone works by decreasing the production of melanin, individuals using this are therefore more exposed to the dangers of the sun’s ultraviolet rays – both UVA and UVB. Therefore, people who use hydroquinone have higher risks of developing skin cancer than those who do not. Since the liver and the kidneys work twenty-four hours to metabolize and excrete the drugs we put into our bodies, damage to these organs is one adverse effect of hydroquinone and almost other drugs as well. Hydroquinone can also start an allergic reaction making the person breathe strenuously and making the face and the parts of the digestive system swell. If you confuse age spots or types of hyperpigmentation with sunburn or if you accidentally apply hydroquinone onto skin injuries, the condition of the sunburn or the skin injury will be aggravated. Other bad effects that come with the use of hydroquinone are the permanent change of the skin’s color, usually bluish to black and the appearance of skin vesicles and irritated, itching and reddish skin.

In the United States, in the year 2006, the availability of hydroquinone as an over-the-counter drug was prohibited. The rationale: the increased occurrence of cancers in rats that are administered with hydroquinone. Even though it is not yet ascertained that hydroquinone can cause cancer in human beings, some still presume otherwise. However, hydroquinone two percent or four percent persists to be sold both in drugstores and cosmetic stores, without prescription, in countries that do not have tight government regulations. Untill more studies are done to prove or disprove hydroquinone’s cancer-causing property, extreme care should be observed in its use.

Dangers Of Hydroquinone Skin Treatments

Age Spots & Hydroquinone

How To Protect Your Skin

Did you ever ask yourself what the results of skin damage are? Well, if you are still young, the damaged inflicted by the sun’s rays might not yet be that visible. The reason for this is the gradual manifestation of the accumulated effects of the sun to our skin. For this reason, people only get to be exposed to these terrifying effects for real if they are already forty years old and above. So, even at an early age, gather information on how you will be able to competently defend your skin from the sun.

Let us then take account of these detrimental effects. The most widespread of them all is sunburn. However, other than being extremely uncomfortable and painful for most people, having a sunburn is actually a great risk for having the most malignant type of skin cancer – melanoma. Another negative result is premature aging wherein symptoms accompanying old age occur even before reaching the aforementioned stage. The sun’s ultraviolet rays contain free radicals which cause wrinkles, age spots, pigmentation and other signs that make people appear older than they actually are. In addition to this, the skin’s dryness and thickening is swiftly becoming obvious. The next negative outcome of the sun, which you might not be familiar with is the immune system’s deteriorating function. Without a reliable immune system, we are highly prone to developing various diseases such as skin cancer. And the most feared skin condition brought about by the sun is cancer of the skin which also happens to become the cancer type that has the highest prevalence. Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma are its three kinds. The type of skin cancer that most individuals suffer from is basal cell carcinoma. The type of skin cancer that forms from actinic keratosis and is the next most common skin cancer type is the squamous cell carcinoma. Lastly, the most threatening of them all, is the malignant melanoma. It is therefore very important to go to a doctor immediately if unusual skin changes begin to appear.

Therefore, in order avoid this list of negative occurrences, you must know how to protect your skin as early as you can. If you know someone from the younger age brackets, encourage them to do the same.

Always wear sunscreen whether you are outside or you are just staying inside your home. Sunscreens are given a certain score to represent their sun protection factor. A milder sunscreen is available for use when you will not be going outside your house. However, a sunscreen designated with a sun protection factor of fifteen and above is what you will need once you opt to go outside. Do not also fail to remember to choose a sunscreen that protects you from the dangers of both the ultraviolet rays A and B. You will distinguish that it is a broad-spectrum type of sunscreen if the label on the sunscreen reports it protects from both UVA and UVB or if the label indicates titanium oxide or zinc oxide as one of its ingredients. When utilizing sunscreens, apply as much as you can and do not think you are being wasteful because this just might cost you your skin in the end. During the time at which the sun’s rays are most damaging – from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon – minimize your activity under the sun. Lastly, wear additional protective clothing such as pants, clothes with sleeves, hats or caps and sunglasses.

Skin Care and Aging – Age Spots

Excessive sun exposure causes brown patches and age spots on your skin. These dark spots are usually known as age spots, liver spots or sun spots. Age spots, medically named solar lentigo, are accompanied by tapering of skin, dehydration and wrinkling. A pigment in our skin known as melanin protects our skin from hazardous UV rays but as we get older our skin is unable to protect it as these pigments start loosening and thinning up.

They appear due to weakening in skin‘s ability to protect itself from harmful UV rays causes age spots.  Areas which are more exposed to sun, such as face, hands, arms, and feet are more likely to have age spots. By regular use of sunscreen and reduction in exposure to sun, age spots can be prevented.

When people start aging, their skin becomes very sensitive and it starts getting thin and more defenseless, connective tissues become weak – this makes skin more prone to injury and  causes bruising and spots in old people. Other causes of age spots are illness or strong medications, in this case consulting a doctor is your best option. One should never assume a pigmented lesion as benign on your skin – whenever you observe color changes or spots on your skin always get it checked by a dermatologist because it may be the start of skin cancer. Chemical peels, bleaching creams and fraxel laser are some of the common age spot treatments.

Recommendations:

Drink Water

Drink at least 8-9 glass of water throughout the day. This keeps your skin fresh, glowing, healthy and hydrated, by detoxifying it.

Sunscreen Protection

Use sunscreen everyday. Make it your habit to use it, try using moisturizers and lotions with  SPF 15. The strength of a sunscreen ranges  from 2-30, the highest factor or  SPF gives longer protection. Sun protection and avoidance is a must to protect your skin. 

Less Sun Exposure

Try to avoid exposing yourself in the sun between 10am -3pm as the strength of UV rays is strongest at that time.

Use an Umbrella and Avoid Tanning

Tanning  can get your skin over exposed to sun and to harmful chemicals , thus damaging your skin and may cause skin cancer so make it a habit to use an umbrella or hat and try to protect your skin from age spots and dangerous UV rays as much as possible.

How To Choose A Sunscreen For People With Age Spots

Removal of Age Spots

How To Get Rid of Age Spots

Who suffers from age spots?

People over the age of 40 often suffer from age spots because at this age the process of skin regeneration slows down. As a result brown spots, wrinkles and marks start to appear on the skin. These kinds of marks can usually be noticed on the skin surface of those areas that are regularly exposed to the sun such as face, chest, hands and forearms. So sun exposure is the main cause for age spots, in some cases genetics may also be a cause for developing age spots.

The age spot removal process may be costly and painful, so those who really are serious to remove these marks should have patience because it may take a long time depending on the treatment of your choice. In this article we are going to talk about the possible ways for removing age spots at home.

If you are serious about removing age spots first of all you should keep your self away from direct sun exposure:

This is very obvious as age spots are mainly caused by sun exposure. The UV rays produced by the sun can damage your skin and result in pigmentation spots. These are harmless kinds of blemishes but affect the appearance of your skin. So you must be proactive to keep yourself protected from direct extreme sun exposure.

If its not easy for your to stay out of the sun completely then you should wear some protective clothes and sunscreen:

The best option for you to avoid sun spots is to cover your whole body when in direct sun exposure. You should try to wear long sleeved shirts, long skirts or pants and a hat to cover your skin. You should always use sunscreen in your daily routine for protecting your skin against the ultra violet rays.

The Alpha Hydroxy Acid market is introducing a wide range of products for the removal of age spots. Using these products may be beneficial for you.

The creams recommended for removing age spots by many dermatologists may be advantageous for your skin problem. You not only will be able to remove age spots on the surface of your skin but can also improve other skin conditions such as acne, and wrinkles that affect the outlook of your skin. These AHA creams are very helpful for binding the essential mechanism in the epidermal layer and to create a new skin after removing the dead skin.

You can also get rid of age spots by chemical peel process under the consultancy of doctor:

There are different strengths of chemical peels for removing age spots – superficial, medium and deep. It’s better for you to consult a professional who can recommend the formula that is perfect for your skin type and severity of age spots.

Removing Age Spots

Removal of Age Spots

Skin Pigmentation | What Types Of Pigmentation Are There?

Melanin protects our skin from the sun’s harmful rays, and it also gives our skin pigment. Melanin also determines the skin color of an individual. When melanin is not produced in a consistently moderate amount, the skin can become discolored and patchy which is called pigmentation.

The roots and effects of skin pigmentation are different. If you would like to know more about the types of skin pigmentation, the details are below.

•    Ephelides/Freckles

Ephelides are mostly inherent in people with fair skin. They come out on the cheeks, chest, shoulders although some have freckles over their entire body. Having some freckles can make you look charming but when it is too many, it could be a nuisance.

•    Solar Lentigines

These dark spots are also referred to as age spots, liver spots or sun spots. They are commonly derived from accumulated damaged melanocytes, which crumple together, thus producing dark spots on skin.   The parts of the skin which gets the most sunlight are susceptible to solar lentigines. They may look similar to freckles, but mostly solar lentigines are the result of sun damage to the skin.

•    Melasma

Melasma occurs more in women than in men. Women who take birth control pills are more inclined to having melasma. They are dark irregular patches usually found on the facial area, especially the cheeks, nose and the forehead. There are two types of melasma, epidermal and dermal melasma. Epidermal melasma is superficial, it only affects the upper epidermis. Dermal melasma is skin deep so it could be difficult to cure.

•    Chloasma

Chloasma is an alternative name for Melasma but is one of the implications of pregnancy, hence it is commonly referred to as the Pregnancy Mask. Sun exposure can aggravate this condition, which can also appear on the abdomen.

The abovementioned pigmentation troubles are caused by too much pigmentation. It’s time to discuss hypopigmentation, the reverse of hyperpigmentation. Hypopigmentation translate to the loss of pigment on skin.

•    Skin Damage

The skin may also lose pigment due to wounds.

•    Albinism

Albinism is the complete absence of melanin.  People affected with this have very white skin color, eye color and hair color. There is a gene which restricts the production of melanin in albino people. Albinos have a greater danger of skin cancer as their skin has no natural protection.

•    Vitiligo

The common symptoms of vitiligo are smooth white patches on skin. When pigment producing cells are destroyed, vitiligo can affect an individual.   There is no cure for vitiligo up to now, but there are some ways like make up to conceal vitiligo.

One should seek medical advice before going through any treatment of these skin conditions. Self diagnisos can be hazardous, only when your condition has been diagnosed by a dermatologist should you begin the recommended treatment.

Keratosis And Pigmentation In Children

Skin Pigmentation Classifications

The Importance Of Identifying The Type Of Keratosis

Are you wondering what those blemishes on your skin are? Keratosis is the result of the excess formation of the protein keratin, naturally found in the skin. Generally, prevention of advancement to cancer, promotion of comfort and cosmetic enhancement are the purpose of treatments. Since you can choose from a list of keratosis treatment options, it is substantial to discern which of them is most appropriate for you – by discovering the keratosis type you have and finding out its cause. This will not be difficult for there are three main keratosis types. These three – actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis and keratosis pilaris – along with their treatments, will be the main spotlight of this article.

Also commonly known as solar keratosis and senile keratosis, actinic keratosis will be the first in our agenda. This keratosis is characterized by the presence of thickened, rough bumps which greatly vary in color – but mostly reddish or brownish – on the skin of body parts constantly overexposed to the sun. Its most usual causes are prolonged exposure to the sun’s damaging rays and old age. Though you seldom experience pain or itch, this type is dreaded for its precancerous state. Without the proper treatment, this can surely lead to malignant neoplasm of the skin. The treatment for actinic keratosis is, in general, its removal through the use of various agents such as drugs, topical creams, cryogens like liquid nitrogen, laser, light or electric current or through surgery.

On the other hand, seborrheic keratosis is characterized by the presence of lesions somehow similar to actinic keratosis which manifest anywhere on the body but on the anterior and posterior chest most of the time. However, from all its dissimilarities with actinic keratosis, the quality that stands out the most is its waxiness or greasiness. Moreover, unlike actinic keratosis, this type does not progress to cancer. Therefore, you will only be concerned by its appearance and by the itching, bleeding or inflammation brought about by its contact with clothing. This is caused either by genetic history or prolonged sun exposure. Due to its inability to cause cancer, treatment is only optional. But if we are talking about physical appearance, there are several ways with which we can remove these unwanted lesions. These are the use of laser, the use of high electric current, the use of surgical instruments, the use of curettage or cryosurgery.

Family history is the single most important factor in the existence of the third type – keratosis pilaris, alternately called follicular keratosis. The reddish rough bumps that appear on the back and the lateral aspect of the arm is what describes this type of keratosis. Due to the excess thickening of keratin, hair follicles are enclosed in skin and eventually form into these small rock-like skin growths. Since it is not cancerous, treatments are utilized only for symptom management including itch and discomfort. Symptoms are managed with the use of light, laser therapy or drug therapy.

In conclusion, various treatments for each type of keratosis are already available and they will continue to grow. However, if you do not want to experience the fear of acquiring skin cancer, the discomfort brought about by the itching or inflammation, or the ugliness it brings to your physical appearance, you have to ensure you take good care of your skin. And there is no other way of achieving this but by consuming healthy foods, drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day, exercising three to five times a week and sleeping for six to eight hours a day.

Keratosis And Its Danger Signs

Keratosis And Pigmentation In Children