CAN BROWN SPOTS ON HANDS BE TREATED?
By Brenda Pitts, Skin Care Therapist at New Skin Oasis
It’s a common question I hear from clients over age 50. Call it what you want--hand spots, brown spots, sunspots, freckles, skin discoloration, photo damage, or hyperpigmentation—but we’re talking about the same thing. By the time most of us reach 70 to 75 the spots will often take on a reddish color and get larger and more noticeable. Other common sites are the forearms, forehead, and scalp, particularly visible in men who’ve experienced hair loss.
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The cause—you guessed it: that “lucky old sun that rolls around heaven all day.” No sun exposure, no hyperpigmentation. If you happen to be one of those wise, mature women who wore either work gloves or dress gloves when she left the house, congratulations, because most likely the skin on your hands has retained its youthful appearance.
CE FERULIC
The rest of us (myself included), will have to work at getting rid of those unsightly splotches and preventing their return.
Prevention is the easy part—apply sunscreen to your hands, arms, face, and scalp (if not covered with hair) EVERY DAY, whether you plan to go outside or not. You see, sun damage comes in two forms: UVA and UVB. Ultraviolet A rays are known as “aging rays”; UVA sunlight makes up 90-95% of all sunlight that reaches the earth’s surface. It penetrates windows of houses and cars; it gets through clouds; it’s present 365 days a year. Even more troublesome is the fact that UVA exposure is “silent”. You don’t get a tan or a sunburn from UVA exposure. UVB rays, also called “burning rays,” cause tanning and burning of the skin, so you know when it’s happening. Enough said? So from this day forward, you’ll apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30? Great!
In order to get rid of existing brown spots, sun spots, freckles, hyperpigmentation, or photodamage, you’ll have to work at it. If you have the means to get laser treatments or chemical peels from a cosmetic dermatologist or plastic surgeon, by all means go for it. But remember, after treatment you’ll need to be vigilant with home care to keep the problem from returning.
For those of us who don’t have $1,000 to pay a doctor, there are a number of good topical preparations that, if used regularly and in conjunction with sunscreen, will gradually diminish brown spots. Below I’ve listed two excellent home care regimens.
REGIMEN #1
SKINCEUTICALS PRODUCTS
Approximate cost for 4-6 months of treatment: $60-$70 per month
MORNING:
(1) Pat hands dry after cleansing face and apply SKINCEUTICALS C E FERULIC to affected areas. One drop is all you need per hand. A little goes a long way. I use it on my hands, forearms, face, neck, and décolleté because I think it’s the single best skin care product on the market. It protects the skin from UVA and UVB rays and other environmental invaders, it corrects damaged cells, and once applied it penetrates to the dermis and won’t wash off (important when you consider how many times a day you wash your hands). One application in the morning gives you full protection for at least 24 hours.
(2)Wait 2-3 minutes and apply SKINCEUTICALS HYDRATING
B5 GEL. Like CE FERULIC, HYDRATING B5 GEL won’t wash off once absorbed into the skin.
(3)Wait 2-3 minutes and apply SKINCEUTICALS PHYTO +, a
natural skin lightener, hydroquinone-free, that gradually fades hyperpigmentation. Won’t wash off once absorbed.
(4)Apply sunscreen.
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