Black or brown marks that are caused on the skin due to excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun are called Solar Lentigo. They appear when the melanin in the body stops protecting the body due to extreme exposure to ultraviolet rays. Although they occur mostly on hands, they could occur elsewhere on the body too such as the back, the feet or the face and forehead which has been overexposed to the sun. This occurs usually after the age of 55 or in people who have worked for prolonged hours in the sun. In some cases, it could lead to mild fever while in extreme cases it could lead to skin cancer.
The treatment for Solar Lentigo involves removing the dead cells of the skin or pigmentation to lessen the black spots if not remove them completely. Some effective home remedies would be as under:
One must always apply sunscreen before stepping out in to the sun to prevent further damage to the skin.
Lemon, apart from eating can be used for many purposes. It has great properties of removing scars so its juice can be mixed with yogurt and applied on the affected area. Orange juice too like lemon contains vitamin C. This too can be mixed to yogurt and applied on the sunburn area.
Aloe Vera is an excellent healer. Regularly applying the cream on the spots will reduce their darkness. Juice from the fresh leaves of the plant can also be extracted and applied on the affected area. Rubbing the sap of herbs like dandelion on the spots will lessen the darkness of the spots.
Castor oil is available very easily. It can be applied on the affected area and washed off after 25-30 minutes. This is sure to clear the stubborn spots.
Mix a little Cider Vinegar and one teaspoon honey in one glass of water. Drink this 2-3 times a day for a few days and find surprising results. Massage olive oil on the skin and leave overnight. This will reduce the solar spots in a few days.
Buttermilk is effective in reducing the spots since it has lactic acid. Dab a little buttermilk on the affected area and leave for some time before washing if off with water.
Mash a few chickpeas, soaked overnight in water and form a smooth paste. Spread this on the solar spots and leave to dry. Then gently wash off to fade off those ugly spots.
Horseradish root can be grated and mixed with lemon juice, vinegar and a few drops of rosemary oil to be applied on the dark spots to lighten them in a few days.
The extract of the Bilberry herb can be taken from a few Bilberries and consumed daily to slow down the course of aging and clear the skin from the ugly scars.
Vitamin E is known to slow down aging. Thus, Vitamin E oil can be applied on the skin for great results. However, in extreme cases one could go in for laser treatment or electro surgery.
