If you are dealing with age spots, or uneven skin tone, you are not alone. Like most people, you may think many of these dark spots are caused by the sun, when in reality, they could actually be signs of advanced aging. According to a recent European study, age spots and uneven skin tone can make others think you’re up to 20 years older! In this article, we’ll look at the root causes of age spots, and the top 3 nutrients that reduce this skin contrast.
Age spots are caused by TWO processes happening within your body at the same time, but most people only know about one of them. So, read this article until the end, to learn how to effectively remove age spots from the inside out.
First, what are age spots?
Age spots, also called liver spots, solar lentigines, or sun spots, appear on areas of your body that are frequently exposed to the sun, like your face and the backs of your hands.
Sun spots can range in color from light tan to dark brown or black. And while small, their size can vary from as little as 0.2 centimeters, up to around 2 centimeters across.
From a medical standpoint, age spots are not dangerous at all. However, these “skin contrasts” can make you look older than your real age, and take away your true attractiveness MORE than wrinkles do. That’s why so many people are motivated to get rid of age spots!
Next, let’s look at what is happening in your body that causes these dark spots to form. Age spots actually result from the combination of two distinct processes that occur at the same time.
The first process is sun damage, also known as photodamage.
When the sun’s UV rays hit your skin, it causes your body to produce more melanin- the pigment that gives your skin its color. Making extra melanin is your body’s way of protecting your skin, and it happens in two ways.
First, melanin acts as a natural sunscreen to absorb and block the UV radiation so it can’t penetrate deep into the skin. Second, melanin acts like an antioxidant to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by UV rays, that can cause oxidative stress and damage to cells.
As more melanin is produced, the darker or more tanned your skin becomes. This results in a suntan. However, getting too much sun exposure over many years causes damage from the UV rays to build up. This disrupts how melanin normally spreads in the skin.
Instead of spreading smoothly across the skin surface, melanin begins to cluster irregularly in concentrated areas. These areas of uneven, excessive melanin show up as age spots or dark blemishes.
For most people, developing age spots and hyperpigmentation are an inevitable side effect of growing older. It is NOT a “mistake” caused by spending too much time in the sun.
Next, let’s talk about the second process that contributes to the formation of age spots – glycation.
Glycation is the chemical process that occurs when sugar molecules like glucose or fructose bind to structural proteins such as collagen and elastin in the skin. This reaction is similar to what happens when you char a steak, and the edges become dark and crispy.
In the body, the “crispy, darkened bits” that form are called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). When AGEs accumulate over time, they lead to visible signs of premature aging in the skin.
Some level of glycation happens naturally, but the sun’s rays significantly accelerate this glycation process. The UV radiation and high temperatures provide the perfect conditions for excess sugars to rapidly react with the skin’s proteins, generating AGEs at a faster rate.
This buildup of AGEs from the surge in glycation show up as wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, dull skin, and loss of elasticity in the skin over time.