Crepey Spotty Hands and Arms
……and how to fix it!
All kinds of unpleasant things happen to us as we age. One of the annoying things about the skin is that the aging process is visible for all to see! Have you ever heard of liver spots? Also known as Age Spots, those brown spots on the backs of your grandmothers hands? Well these start early. You don’t have to be old and you don’t want to look old!
Another hallmark of aging and sundamage is the fine wrinkling of sun exposed skin. There is not a more sun exposed area of the body than hands (and often forearms). These areas often become crepey, and it happens at a younger age in fair skin and in people who have been in the sun alot.
I think we pretty much agree that spotty crepey skin is not so good. So, lets look at what we can do about it!
Before and after Fraxel resurfacing
Use sunscreen! Even though the sundamage has been going on for years or even decades, it is never too late to stop adding to the damage. Skin is constantly renewing and healing itself buts studies show that UV light inhibits the skin’s ability to heal itself. It makes sense to stop sabotaging your own self healing process.
Exfoliate frequently! Dead skin builds up and creates a dry, dull surface all over the body. You gradually lose the dewy glow of youth. By exfoliating with mild scrubs(read: gentle, not like steel wool!) and ingredients like glycolic acid you can really brighten up the skin. One of my favorites is Crepe Erase Body Refining Exfoliant.
Moisturize! A nice rich, not greasy emollient cream is ideal for the body which is naturally low on moisture. It helps to rebuild the skin barrier and seals in moisture. The result is instant satisfaction with softer smoother looking skin. Try Crepe Erase Body Treatment Cream
Resurface! This is the ultimate, in a good way, step. Protecting, exfoliating and moisturizing can only take you so far. If we want to actually change the skin, to reduce the sun damage, to reduce the crepey skin, to fade the brown spots quickly then look to lasers. I know some people are afraid of lasers because you have heard that there is terrible downtime. Well this is not the case when the right laser is used in the right way. Recovery comes with some redness of course but not enough to slow you down. One treatment can give remarkable results although for stubborn situations another treatment will boost results. One of my favorite lasers is the tried and true Fraxel. It give consistent and reliable results with very little recovery or risk. I have been treating patients with Fraxel for nearly 20 years and people love it. It can be used pretty much anywhere on the face or body. I get a treatment myself every year or two.