Skin Care Tips and Information

Causes of Dark Spots

Dark spots are pigmented areas on the skin that usually start to appear in middle age. They can be caused by several factors. In some cases, dark spots may appear on the skin due to skin trauma. This is most evident in the case of skin infections like acne, which often leave behind dark spots on the skin. Other skin conditions that may result in development of the dark spots include linea fusca and erythromelanosis follicularis. The intake of certain medications may also cause dark spots on the body. Another very common cause of dark spots is exposure to the sun. The ultra violet radiation present in the sun’s rays can have adverse effects on the skin.  It stimulates the melanocytes or melanin-producing cells to over produce melanin. This results in darkened spots on the skin. Dark spots may also occur during pregnancy due to the hormonal changes taking place in the body. Certain medical conditions may sometimes contribute to the development of dark spots. Such conditions include Addison’s disease, liver disorders, pituitary tumors and hemachromatosis. Stress can also bring about hormonal fluctuations in the body, thereby resulting in formation of dark spots.

Home Remedies to Lighten Dark Spots

• To prevent further darkening of the skin, ensure that you apply sunscreen before stepping outdoors. Sunscreen must be applied half an hour before sun exposure to allow it to take effect.
• To reduce the effects of sun exposure and lighten dark spots, cleanse your face with buttermilk. Scrub your skin gently for at least twenty minutes before taking a bath every day. Done regularly, this will work well in lightening darkened areas of the skin.
• Skin discolorations may also be treated using aloe vera gel. The gel extracted from the aloe vera leaves is very beneficial for the skin and helps in lightening the skin and preventing further damage.
• You may also apply apple cider vinegar to lighten dark skin spots.
• Lemon helps to lighten the skin naturally due to its bleaching properties. Application of lemon juice directly on the dark spots will cause them to lighten.
• Honey is another beneficial natural remedy for the skin. Apply some warm honey to the affected areas and then wash it off with lukewarm water.
• You may also add wheat germ oil to the honey before using it. Vitamin E oil may also be applied to get rid of skin discolorations.
• The juice of horseradish serves as another effective home remedy for treating dark spots.

Tags: causes of dark spots, dark spots home remedies, how to lighten dark spots, lighten dark spots, treating dark spots

This entry was posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 6:56 am and is filed under Skin Care Treatments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.