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I have a brown spot like Vincent Price has on his face. What is it?
These are lentigines, also known as sun spots, age spots, or liver spots, and are harmless, flat, brown discolorations of the skin which usually occur on the back of the hands,
neck, and face of
people older than 40 years of age. These spots more than
anything else, give away a person's age. Lentigines are caused by the skin being
exposed to the sun over many years. If you do not believe that these brown, ugly
marks on the back of your hands and face are caused by sunlight, look at the skin
on your inner thigh. You will see that the skin of the inner thigh is completely
devoid of age spots. Sun spots are harmless and do not need to be treated unless
they are changing or getting bigger than the surrounding sun spots.
How do I prevent it?
The only way to prevent age spots is to use liberal amounts of sunscreen before the age of forty, avoid the sun, and wear protective clothing. These measures will also help prevent the formation of skin cancer and wrinkles.
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Is there a way to treat it?
The newest treatment for lentigines is alpha hydroxy acid like MD Forte. The lotion or cream is applied to the spots each night and in the morning. Topical vitamin C treatment is effective for treating sun spots. Topical vitamin C works well when used in combination with alpha hydroxy acids.
Another treatment for lentigines is Retin-A. Retin-A cream is applied to the spots once a day for six months. This will cause lightening of large age spots and will make small ones disappear. Retin-A cream can be used in combination with alpha hydroxy acid.
Lentigines can also be treated with an alpha hydroxy acid peel. This involves applying a mild acid to the skin and then allowing the skin to heal. Chemical peels work best in people with blue eyes and light hair, but can be effective in all skin types. Liquid nitrogen works well for treating lentigines. The best treatment for lentigines is the Neodymium YAG Laser. Ask Dr. Guccione or Ms. Carlisle what treatment would be best for you.
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