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Although the appearance of age spots might seem like an obvious
indication of aging skin, they are instead our body's attempt to
protect itself from sun exposure by overproducing melanin. Also
called liver spots or sun spots, age spots are blemishes that
range in color from dark yellow to black and locate themselves
in exposed areas of the body, such as the face, hands,
shoulders, arms or forehead.
Only occasionally do age spots pose a serious medical risk. They
sometimes obscure detection of skin cancer, and, rarely, can
indicate accumulated wastes or a bodily dysfunction.
Even when harmless, these blotchy brownish patches pose a tough
cosmetic challenge that can make us look and feel much older
than our years.
Conventional strategies for eliminating age spots include
cryotherapy, acid washes, bleaches, pulsed light or traditional
laser treatment. Too often such techniques will fade but not
completely remove age spots.
The real breakthrough came recently when the FDA approved Fraxel
Laser Treatment® for age spots after studies showed that the new
laser could be far more effective than traditional therapies.
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