If years of basking in the sun’s rays have left you a bit freckled and spotted, there are ways to get your complexion glowing again.
When a scientist from a leading beauty brand teamed up with two behavioral
biologists to conduct a study that measured people’s perception age,
health, and attractiveness as it related to skin tone, the results
were astounding. Skin texture and wrinkles aside, the researchers
discovered that bright, luminous skin, with an even skin tone free
of age spots and freckles, is what many people consider youthful,
attractive, and healthy.
“People want a refreshed look, a glow,” says Dr. Peter Vignjevic,
a dermatologist and assistant professor at the DeGroote School of
Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON.”They want their skin
to look brighter, be all the same color or tone, and have no discoloration
or redness.” Exposure to sun is the main cause of most skin discoloration.
Those pesky ultra-violet (UV) rays damage the sells of the skin, and
the damage shows up as freckles, broken blood vessels, and age spots
(also known as sun or liver spots), Vignjevic explains.
UV rays speed up the skin’s production of melanin (the dark pigment
that gives color to your skin and hair); age spots happen when more
melanin is produced than normal and in higher concentrations.
“The damaged skin cells overproduce melanin in a localized area, and
then recruit neighboring cells to do the same. The results are the
formation of age spot, “says Mary Begovic Johnson, principal scientist
for Proctor & Gamble.
Fortunately, there are numerous treatments available at your dermatologist,
by prescription, and over-the-counter that can reduce the appearance
of age spots and brighten the overall tone of your skin. But, according
to Johnson, none of these treatments has lasting effects: “If the
skin is repeatedly exposed to sunlight, the spots can return.” She
recommends using a broad-spectrum sunscreen on daily basis to prolong
the treatment benefits and protect the skin from additional sun damage.
At the Dermatologists Office
Lactic acid peels are in-office exfoliating treatments that even
skin tone pigment. ”They give skin a glow, a freshness and brightness,”
Vignjevic says, adding that repeated treatments offer even more benefit.
Lactic acid peels can also help alleviate acne and blackheads. The
cost of a treatment can vary, but typically ranges between $75 and
$125, and is done about once a month. “It’s a gentle treatment,” Vignjevic
assures, adding that there’s no redness or immediately after the procedure.
Intense pulse light (IPL) therapy is a process known as photo-rejuvenation.
“It’s a broad spectrum of light-not a laser-containing many wavelengths
that can remove different colors [from your skin, specifically red
and brown],” Vignjevic explains.
Dr. Robert Miller, a dermatologist and associate professor of medicine
at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, explains how IPL works: “As the
light passes through the skin, the pigment that causes freckles and
age-related brown spots absorbs the light energy and converts it into
heat. The heat then helps destroy the blood vessels and pigmentation.”
Discolored areas of the skin become darker at first, but then they
eventually peel off. “The entire process is skin healing itself”,
Miller says.
IPL works especially well at reducing freckles. And while it can also
decrease red tones in the skin, a few added treatments may be required
before that can happen. ”Reds are more stubborn,” so you may need
four or five more treatments.” Typically, a patient will see the dermatologist
for an IPL treatment once a month with the cost of a treatment ranging
anywhere from $300 to $500, depending on what’s being treated.
Another treatment that can have an effect on the skin’s tone and overall
appearance is the ProFractional laser. The ProFractional laser makes
microscopic holes deep in the skin’s layers to promote rapid wound
healing in the healthy skin surrounding the heat-created holes. “It
stimulates new collagen growth, improves tone, texture, and some pigmentation,
and freshens the overall skin on the face and neck,” Miller says.
Although the main target of the ProFractional laser is improved skin
texture, you’ll still notice a boost in skin its tone and brightness.
A ProFractional laser treatment can cost from $500 to $1,000. Patients
may experience some redness and swelling after the procedure, and
may require only two or three treatments.
Hope in a Jar
Fortunately, treatment at the dermatologist’s office isn’t always required for a bright complexion. Creams are available by prescription for use at home. “Topical prescription vitamin A is one of the most effective anti-agers,” VIgnjevic says, “and it helps a bit with age spots.” For the best outcomes, Vignjevic often pairs vitamin A (which should be used only at night because it makes the skin more sensitive to the sun) with products that include vitamin C. “Vitamin C can help improve collagen, cell turnover, and abnormal pigmentation,” he says, “and it refreshes the skin’s appearance while reducing pigment production by the skin.” Another popular treatment cream is hydroquinone , also known as a bleaching cream. Hydroquinone helps reduce brown spots and pigmentation by inhibiting the enzyme involved in melanin production, Vignjevic explains. If you’re looking for something right off the shelves, the following products target dark spots and contribute to improving the skin’s overall tone.