What are Facial Dark Spots?
MDark spots, also known as “hyper pigmentation,” are one of the most common skin problems, and commonly begin appearing in younger adults. They tend to show up on the parts of your body that are exposed to the sun regularly, such as your face, neck, hands, and legs.
These unsightly brown spots are completely natural, and rarely are they a cause for medical concern. They are annoying, however, and can be a source of insecurity for those who have them. Luckily, there are many ways to treat them, often with items you already have around your home.
CAUSES AND PREVENTION
Quite a few things can cause dark spots on the face or body, but the biggest culprit is the sun. Developing sun spots after spending too much time on the beach or in tanning beds is almost a given. To prevent this, be sure to protect your skin with sunscreen when spending a lot of time out in the sun.
Poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking, poor nutrition, and inadequate skin care are other preventable causes of dark spots. Unavoidable causes include stress and aging. Diabetes, cancer, and other medical conditions can cause dark spots as well, so be sure that you get a checkup if you have other symptoms of a medical condition, or unusual marks showing up on your skin.
HOME REMEDIES
Once dark spots appear, they do not have to be permanent. Some natural remedies are reliable for treating dark spots at home. Here are 6 of our favorites:
LEMON JUICE - This is one of the most popular,
effective home remedies for dark spots. Lemons
are acidic, and their juice contains natural
bleaching agents that are capable of fading dark
pigment from your skin. To try this method, apply
a bit of fresh lemon juice to cotton and press it
against the dark spot for twenty minutes. When
you are finished, rinse the area with cool water.
If you do this twice a day for 2 or 3 months, you
should see a significant improvement in your
dark spots.
CASTOR OIL - While castor oil is best known as an effective
but aggressive laxative, it is also one of the strongest home
remedies for dark spots, and one of the easiest. Simply apply
castor oil onto your dark spots with a tissue or cotton ball
twice a day until they fade away.
ALOE VERA - Aloe’s ability to heal skin issues is no
secret. Beyond treating sunburn, fresh aloe is a great
home remedy for dark spots. It’s best to use fresh aloe
directly from the plant. Rub it on the affected area and
leave it on for about an hour, then rinse it off clean. If
you repeat this twice a day for 1 month, your dark spots
should fade away.
TOMATO JUICE - Tomatoes are acidic, and tomato juice
offers many healing properties for a variety of skin ailments.
Tomato juice is also somewhat effective for fading dark spots.
It should be used twice a day. To increase its effectiveness,
consider adding a bit of lemon juice.
RED ONION JUICE - Beware of using this one around
your eyes. If you can handle the pungent smell of raw
onion, cutting off a slice of one and then rubbing it on
your dark spots should fade them if done regularly for a
few weeks. If having raw onions on your face makes your
stomach churn, you can also mix one spoonful of onion
juice with double the amount of honey and apply the
mixture to the dark spots, rinsing after twenty minutes.
SUGAR CUBES - You probably have some sugar cubes
hidden somewhere in your kitchen, and if you do, they will
make you smell a lot better than onion juice. Rubbing the
cubes onto your dark spots is often a great way to naturally
remove your dark spots. If you have blemishes, sugar cubes
carry the additional advantage of being a natural exfoliant.
If any of the above remedies tickle your fancy then by all means give them a try, however if you want a guaranteed approach to removing your dark spots once and for all we recommend a quality dark spot remover that is free of chemical additives and harsh bleaching agents such as the one we recommend above.
~ Stay Beautiful!