HOW TO REMOVE AGE SPOTS

Age spots, or liver spots, are flat areas of brown pigment that often occur on the bkks of the hands.The best way to prevent them — and to protect yourself from skin cancer, too — is by using plenty of sunscreen. If it's too late and you already have age spots, look for an over-the-counter fading cream or apply a simple, natural bleaching agent. Bear in mind that it can take several months to see an improvement. And from now on, make sure you never leave the house without proper sun protection.

Lighten up 

• A stain lightening cream called Fade Out contains a 2 per cent solution of the bleaching agent hydroquinone. (Darker spots may need a stronger solution, but for that you will need a prescription from a dermatologist.) Before you use Fade Out, carefully read the manufacturer's directions.

• Apply the juice of a lemon to the spots at least twice a day. Lemon juice is mildly acidic and may be strong enough to take off the skin's outer layer and remove or lighten age spots.

• Blend honey and yoghurt to create a natural bleach that can lighten age spots. Mix 1 teaspoon of plain yoghurt and 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply, allow to dry for 30 minutes, then rinse. Do this once a day. 

• Coat your spots with aloe vera gel, taken straight from the leaves of a living plant, if possible. Cut the leaf and squeeze it to extract the gel. The plant contains chemicals that slough away dead cells and encourage the growth of new, healthy ones. Apply the gel once or twice a day.

• A folk remedy for removing age spots is to wipe them with buttermilk. This contains lactic acid, which gently exfoliates sun-damaged skin and pigmented areas. 

   Go undercover

• Camouflage age spots with a cosmetic concealer — sold in department stores and pharmacies.Some are enriched with oils to moisturize your skin as well. Ask a sales assistant to help you find the right shade for your skin — usually slightly lighter that your own skin tone — and show you how to apply it.

    The power of prevention

• Avoid the sun as much as possible during peak hours —m 10am to 4pm in summer or in hot climates, and from iillOarn to 2pm for the rest of the year.

• Every day, 30 minutes before you go outside, apply rescreen to your face and the backs of your hands. Make stone it has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. The most effective sunscreens for guarding against age spots Main zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. If you are going to be outdoors for any length of time, reapply every two hours. 

• Wear a sunhat with a wide brim of at least 10cm (4in).This will keep the sun off your face and neck and help to stop age !weirs from developing in those areas. Choose a hat with a cotton lining — woven straw hats don't give much Protection.

• After you've been out in the sun, apply some vitamin E oil. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and may help to prevent age spots by neutralizing skin-damaging free radical molecules. But smooth it on only after sun exposure as vitamin E itself produces free radicals when it's exposed to sunlight.