Skin Republic

Dear Dr. Jen,

I’m in my 50’s and I have age spots.  Is there an ointment to get rid of age spots?  It started coming out about five years ago. It has since stopped coming out, but the ones that did have remained. I’m wondering why my older sister hasn’t developed this yet.

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

Age spots, sometimes called sun spots, solar lentigines or liver spots, are brown, flat unsightly spots.  It commonly starts to come out after 50 years old. They appear on sun-exposed areas like the face, shoulders and arms.  And you guessed it right, previous sun exposure is a huge factor in its formation. In some people, genetic predisposition as well as skin type, can be factors in earlier formation.

There are creams that can lighten it gradually.  What is important is to use safe (non-burning) creams that can bleach it slowly and surely.  Most creams that contain concentrated forms of hydroquinone with tretinoin can make the skin irritated and eventually cause further darkening.  You can ask your nearest PDS derma to assess your skin type and prescribe appropriate bleaching creams.  Vitamin C or glycolic acid or arbutin based are generally more reliable and you can find them OTC in safe concentrations.

This must also be paired with a good sunblock to prevent formation of new ones and avoid further darkening of the existing sun spots.

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Dear Dr. Jen,

How can I treat the thick scales on my legs?  They are thick, round and very itchy. I have not been able to wear anything that doesn’t cover my legs for a long time now because my skin is embarrassing.  I’ve bought many creams and have spent so much for this already.  Can you please enlighten me?  What else can I do?

Jackie

Dear Jackie,

If those lesions have been around for months or years, most likely they have form a lichenified layer over the initial skin rash from the constant scratching.  The act of scratching is interpreted as onslaught and damage to the epidermis and so the skin starts to form a thickened defensive layer over the rash.

Most of the time, the thickened (almost calloused) skin cannot be penetrated by the usual potions of creams and ointments.  It is not enough to apply medicine. The scratching must be stopped for the thickened layer to disappear. Pouring alcohol and scrubbing it must also be avoided. Taking antihistamines and applying steroids may help.  However, if time is of the essence, injecting the areas with anti-inflammatory medicine may bring you speedy results.