Age spots, sometimes called liver spots and solar lentigines, are flat tan, brown, or black spots on the skin. They’re caused primarily by years of exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun. The use of commercial tanning beds can also contribute to the development of age spots. The pigment in the epidermis that gives your skin pigment is called melanin. Ultraviolet light accelerates the production of melanin, creating a tan that helps protect deeper layers of the skin from ultraviolet rays.

On the areas of the skin that have years of frequent and prolonged sun exposure, age spots appear when melanin is produced in particular high concentrations. At Laser Aesthetics of Colorado, we use laser therapy to help our Centennial age spot removal patients reduce the appearance of discolorations, uneven skin tone, blotchiness, dullness, and dark spots.

Candidates for Age Spot Removal

• Patients with visible liver spots and/or solar lentigines
• Patients whose age spots are resistant to medications and creams
• Patients seeking a permanent removal of their age spots

About Age Spot Removal

The pigment of the skin that causes the appearance of age spots is located in the base of the epidermis, which is the uppermost layer of the skin. This means treatment for age spots must target a very specific layer of the skin to provide the desired result. Laser and intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) can be used to reduce the appearance of age spots by destroying melanin-producing cells beneath the surface of the skin without damaging any of the skin cells in between. There are possible negative side effects associated with both laser therapy and IPL treatments, however they are considered minor and subside within a few days of treatment.

How Age Spot Removal is Performed

Using a handheld laser emitting device, laser or IPL is administered to the treatment area at a very specific depth to target the melanocytes that produce the pigment. Over the course of a number of treatments, the melanocytes can be adequately destroyed to provide a gradual improvement in the appearance of the age spots over several weeks. The number of treatments required to provide the desired result will depend on the patient’s needs and how the patient responds to the initial treatment. At Laser Aesthetics of Colorado, we pride ourselves in guiding each of our Centennial age spot removal patients through the entire process, from start to finish.