Banish Age Spots
- Lasers: Lasers are the big guns of spot removal. Many doctors prefer the KTP version because it targets melanin, says Eric Schweiger, MD, a dermatologist in New York City. The number of treatments you’ll need depends on how dark the spots are. (Prices start at around $450 per treatment.) Though you will end up with a light scab, it should peel after about seven days. If your sun damage is spread over a large area, consider Intense Pulsed Light. This treatment emits multiple wavelengths that target various shades of red and brown but may take between four and six treatments (at around $400 each) for the full fading effect.
Get Rid of Undereye Circles
- Injectables: Restylane, which causes less swelling than other fillers and provides instant results, can help fill in circles (for about six months, generally), says Dr. Schweiger. Avoid herbal remedies, aspirin, and alcohol for five days prior to treatment, and to be extra safe, don’t simply seek an injection specialist; ask the doctor for before-and-after pics of other patients. Not that anyone’s going to show you bad photos, of course. But the fact that there’s a body of work should be somewhat reassuring.
Originally published in Ladies’ Home Journal, September 2011
To read Dr. Schweiger’s advice in Ladies Home Journal for common skin ailments, click here.
