What's the best age spot treatment for sun damaged hands?

The IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) lasers work very well for sun spots on the hands. They are simple and safe and cost effective. Plus there is virtually no down time, recovery or risk when done in the medical office by qualified people.

There are several excellent alternatives to treat age spots for hands.

The consistently best treatment is the laser expert. It is best to visit an experienced physician who has the abiity to use multiple modalities.

Over time, our skin suffers damage from exposure to sun. We have done a fairly good job in encouraging people to apply sunscreens and avoid sun exposure to the face, but we have not done well in encouraging the same for the hands.

I have found that IPL laser treatments work extremely well in elimininating sun spots on the hands and face.  There is no down time or pain with the IPL laser, and the procedures are affordable for most.

Beyond that, there are a variety of bleaching creams that can be effective and of course, an ounce of prevention (sunscreen) is worth a pound of cure!

That old saying of, "You can tell a woman's age by her hands" rings true as we begin to see the signs of previous years of sun exposure which caused photodamage to the hands.

Women usually do not hesitate to protect their face with quality moisturizers, cosmetics, and other skin care regimens. We also are usually diligent with sun protection to this area. Unfortunately, we often forget to provide the same care to our chests and hands.

Age spots, sun spots, brown spots, and solar lentigines refer to those pesky spots on the hands. They usually are associated with a change in the skin texture as well.

We have found consistent results and good outcomes with the Q-switched Yag lasers such as the Medlite C6 and the QYag V . Not only do these lasers destroy pigmented cells using thermal energy, but they also can stimulate and remodel existing collagen... a good thing! There is no downtime with these treatments, and treatments usually are less than 15 minutes, spaced 2-4 weeks apart.

When being diligent with sunscreen to the face, don't forget the chest and hands. An ounce of prevention...

Now we know why gloves were so popular in the F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby era.

There are many treatments for age spots on the hands if gloves won't do.

• IPL laser treatments are effective.
• I have found that Fraxel re:store laser works very well.

During and after your treatment it is most important to avoid sun exposure and wear abundant sun block.