For the color of our skin are responsible for the special pigment-producing cells - melanocytes. It is interesting that their number in the body of any person is almost the same, but at the same time, someone has dark skin, and someone has light skin. The fact is that pigmentation does not depend on the number of melanocytes, but on their size, as well as on the saturation of the upper layer of the skin with melanin pigment.
Many people are concerned about the appearance of age spots in various parts of the body associated with impaired pigmentation processes. Most often, such spots appear in women during menopause, this is primarily due to hormonal changes in the body and aging of the skin. This symptom, of course, is unpleasant, but does not pose any danger to the health and condition of the body.
Otherwise, you should treat the age spots that young people can notice on their bodies. The reasons for their occurrence in this case are many. These are, as a rule, treatment with certain drugs, the presence of inflammatory processes in the genital area, ovarian dysfunction in women, decreased liver function, and problems with the thyroid gland. Excessive pigmentation of the skin on the face can be a consequence of the prolonged use of low-quality cheap cosmetics.
Types of age spots
Lentigo - large pigment spots that do not have a clear outline that appear on the skin of people who have reached advanced age, and associated with the processes of its natural aging.
Ephelids (the more common name is freckles) are fuzzy small skin formations that do not rise above its surface and are inherited. Freckles can spontaneously disappear and reappear. An increase in their number is observed mainly in the spring.
Vitiligo - white pigment spots, often affecting the skin of young people, having fuzzy contours and sometimes reaching very large sizes. Vitiligo is formed in those areas of the skin where melanin is practically not produced.
Many people who often visit foreign resorts, and simply love to sunbathe or treat themselves to a tanning bed, have age spots after tanning. The reason for their appearance may be a sharp change in climatic conditions (from winter Russian cold to the summer heat of an exotic country), uneven application of sunscreen to the skin , a lack of vitamin C in the body, and the presence of pathologies of the endocrine system.
In the event that excessive or, conversely, weak skin pigmentation spoils your appearance and causes psychological discomfort, you can try to get rid of it. You should not conduct experiments on your own skin and remove stains using traditional medicine methods, which, incidentally, are not always safe for health. It is best to consult a beautician.
Age spots: treatment
Before prescribing adequate treatment, a specialist should determine the exact appearance of the formations on the skin, as well as establish the cause of their occurrence. In some cases, normal skin pigmentation is restored immediately after eliminating the underlying cause of the disorder.
The preparations, the main component of which is vitamin C, help to obtain a uniform skin color. Their daily dose, as well as the duration of the course of treatment, is established by a specialist to whom you will address your problem. The removal of dark pigment spots is carried out using some cosmetics with a whitening effect. Such products are available in the form of creams or sprays for application to the skin. Their composition may include mercury, salicylic alcohol, perhydrol. Of course, few people will be pleased with the prospect of applying such substances to the skin.
An alternative to such treatment is a chemical peeling by a cosmetologist. During the procedure, a special solution is applied to the skin, removing its upper layer. Depending on the concentration of this solution, deep or surface peeling is distinguished . Instead of peeling, face polishing or less painful phototherapy can be performed.
In fact, age spots do not pose any threat to the human body, and everyone decides for himself whether he should get rid of them or not.