Sun spots

Everything you need to know about sun spots and how to remove them.

WHAT ARE SUNSPOTS AND HOW TO GET RID OF THEM

Sun spots can be quite annoying – especially sun spots on face. But what are sunspots? We’ll discuss the ins and outs of them, how you get them, how you can prevent them, and how to get rid of sunspots.

Sun spots on skin - and how to get rid of sunspots

Have you noticed small brown flat spots on your skin? Particularly on your face or on the back of your hands? These are probably sun spots. Sometimes they’re called liver spots, though they have nothing to do with the liver. And some people call them age spots, which is more appropriate as they have quite a bit to do with age.

Dermatologists officially refer to sun spots as solar lentigines. Whatever you want to call them, these pigmentations can be annoying blemishes on your skin – and can be difficult to cover up.

Let’s take a closer look at sun spots on face, sun spots on skin, what causes them and how to remove sun spots. We’ll also talk about preventative treatments.

Let’s start with the most popular question: what are sunspots?

What are sunspots on skin?

So, what are sunspots? Sun spots on skin are flat spots of skin discolouration, usually brown in colour – from tan to dark.

They vary in size, start off larger than freckles, and will often grow. Unlike freckles, which they are sometimes confused with, they won’t fade without being helped along by treatments.

SUN SPOTS ON FACE

Sun spots frequently occur on your face. Why? Because your facial skin is delicate and susceptible to damage from UV rays.
The good news is that knowing this means you can fight against them using targeted products to help reverse damage and prevent any further damage.

LIVER SPOTS ON THE NECK

Sun spots can occur on your neck – often a place we miss when applying sun cream in the morning. Sun spots in this location are sometimes referred to as liver spots or age spots.

Where else do sun spots occur?

Sun spots most often develop skin that’s often exposed to the sun, like your shoulders, neck, back, and on the backs of hands.

WHAT CAUSES SUN SPOTS ON SKIN?

Your skin contains a substance called melanin, a skin pigment that determines the colour of your skin and hair. When exposed to UV light, the skin produces more melanin in an attempt to repair damage. The increase of melanin in the body turns the skin darker – that’s your tan. In other words, melanin is the body's way of protecting the skin from burning. Sun spots appear when melanin is produced in high concentrations where your skin is exposed to high doses of UV light such as your face or hands. This creates patches of darker skin, referred to as hyperpigmentation – more commonly, sun spots.

WHEN DO SUN SPOTS START APPEARING?

Most people start getting them around the age of 40, depending on the amount of exposure they’ve had to the sun over the years. You'll often see sun spots on face, neck, and hands. The more time you've spent in the sun with little or no UV protection, the more likely it is you will develop sun spots. Fair skin is also more at risk of developing sun spots. While harmless, sun spots can get bigger over time. So if sun spots on skin are causing you concern it's best to tackle the problem sooner rather than later. Waiting can make sun spot removal a little more time consuming.

Home remedies

How to remove sun spots from your face

A lot of people wonder how to get rid of sunspots. Luckily, there are treatments you can do at home that can help fade these spots. You can try these for sun spot removal too. These include:

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a wonder plant that contains active compounds, including aloin and aloesin, which have been found to effectively lighten hyperpigmentation, including sun spots on skin.

Vitamin C

The antioxidant properties of vitamin C offer several benefits including delivering a protective effect against UVA and UVB rays. Applying vitamin C topically is also an effective way to lighten various dark spots caused by the sun.

Vitamin E

Studies have shown that dietary vitamin E and topical vitamin E oil protects the skin against photosensitivity (sensitivity to ultraviolet UV rays) that puts you more at risk of skin damage.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar may help lighten sunspots when applied regularly.

Green Tea

Not to be outdone, green tea has also been found to reduce the appearance of sun spots on skin. Put a little cooled green tea on the affected area daily.

Milk

The lactic acid in milk can lighten skin pigmentation, and can even work on sun spots.

How do you prevent sun spots?

The better care you take of your skin in the sun, the less likely you are to develop sun spots. And if you do, by some chance, develop sun spots, they’ll come later and be few and far between.

Unprotected exposure to the sun is damaging to the skin because of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. There are two types of UV rays that have different effects on the skin, but they’re both very damaging:

- UVA is associated with skin aging
- UVB is associated with skin burning

The best way to prevent sun spots on face is to get into the habit of wearing a high SPF facial cream daily – even on cloudy cool days ¬– over or instead of your regular moisturiser. Aim for an SPF of at least factor 30 for the best results. The good news is that these days there are specific SPF formulas for the face which deliver all the UV-protection you need while keeping your makeup perfect. That’s right, sun screen doesn’t have to leave your face greasy.

Luminous630® is our most effective range of face cream for dark spots. The range helps to reduce the appearance of the three most common forms of dark spots, including dark spots caused by sun exposure, ageing and hormonal changes. There are options for treating sun spots on face, like CELLULAR LUMINOUS630 ANTI DARK-SPOT FACE TREATMENT SERUM.

For more useful NIVEA products, click below to explore our range of Luminous630® products and find the best creams for dark spots on face.

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