Age Spots
What is it and what is the cause?
Resulting from sun damage, hormones or sometimes genetics, age spots (or to use one of their other names; brown spots, sun spots, liver spots or lentigos) are flat, oval patches of pigmented skin. UVA sunlight stimulates your pigment cells called, ‘melanocytes’ to manufacture this pigment called, ‘melanin’. This is not only responsible for a tan but also unwanted dark patches.
They’re completely harmless normally but as they are most prominent on the face, hands and neck many people, both men and women, choose to have them treated. Studies have shown that these patches are actually more ageing than lines and wrinkles.
Age spots usually occur in adults over 40, but younger people can also get them if they spend a lot of time in the sun or on sunbeds. Prevention is of course better than a cure! You can prevent age spots from developing by ensuring you wear SPF30 or higher when you’re outdoors, whether in the sun or not, as UVA light levels can cause damage throughout the year.
A consultation includes a skin scan with one of our Specialists, which looks 2mm under the skin. They can assess the age spots/pigmentation and decide the best course of treatment to help you.
Treatments
IPL Skin Rejuvenation
Facial thread veins are the tiny vessels that are underneath our skin which can become damaged in extreme temperatures such as sitting in the sun or skiing. You may be more affected if you work outdoors a great deal e.g. builders or gardeners. Rosacea sufferers may also suffer from facial thread veins. These can be treated using IPL treatment usually requiring between 1 - 3 sessions a month apart.
Chemical Peels
Skin peels work by harnessing the power of naturally occurring fruit acids and enzymes to deeply exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin. The treatment stimulates new cell growth and collagen production, helping to reveal fresher, clearer, brighter skin. At our Sandon, we offer a variety of industry-leading chemical peels that effectively remove the top layer of dead skin cells and encourage skin to grow, revealing a softer, smoother complexion.