Sun spots (age spots), also known as lentigines, are harmless, flat, brown discolorations of the skin which usually occur on the back of the hands, neck and face of people older than 40 years of age. These spots more than anything else, give away a person's age. Sun spots are caused by the skin being exposed to the sun over many years and are a sigh of sun damage. If you do not believe that these brown, ugly marks on the back of your hands and face are caused by sunlight, look at the skin on your inner thigh. You will see that the skin of the inner thigh is completely devoid of age spots. Sun spots are harmless and do not need to be treated unless they are changing or getting bigger than the surrounding sun spots.
The only way to prevent age spots is to use liberal amounts of sunscreen before the age of forty, avoid the sun, and wear protective clothing. These measures will also help prevent the formation of skin cancer and wrinkles.
While age spots are largely unavoidable, you can help reduce them by avoiding prolonged exposure to the sun and by protecting your skin with sunscreens when you are in the sun. Yesterday's beach goddess tan is tomorrow's blight of brown spots and leathery skin -- or worse, skin cancer.
When I first published The 7 Critical Questions to Ask Before Letting Any Surgeon Touch You, I had no idea that it would be so popularly received. Since its publication, this brief guide has helped thousands like you to more safely navigate the world of cosmetic surgery. The 7 Questions have been updated and a bonus section, Applying the 7 Questions, has just been added. Be my guest to read, learn and share.
