Age spots as a term refers to the brown spots that appear on the skin. The terms brown spot, sun spot, liver spot, lentigo and senile/solar lentigine mean exactly the same. The spots range from light brown to red or almost black in color. Formerly it was incorrectly believed that liver spots were due to liver problems. Age spots neither have anything to do with how old you are, though they are more common with older people.
Removing spots by medical treatments
Laser treatment is generally very effective method to remove sun spots but it is definitely not the cheapest way. It may require two or more sessions to remove the spots completely, depending on where they are situated and how many there are. The prices vary from about $700 up to $5000. In cryosurgery the abnormal skin cells are destroyed and removed through freezing. Generally it is very quick procedure with quite little side effects. The freezing agent can be applied directly to the skin with a swab or sprayed on. The prices vary from $300 up to $2000 but the quality of treatment is very much comparable to the price especially on the lower price levels.
Chemical peels involve a chemical solution applied to the surface of the skin. The type of the chemical solution and the method of application affects on the depth of the peeling. There's a little downtime after the treatment but also little side effects as irritated skin. The prices are from $600 to $900. Microdermabrasion consists a variety of treatment which rejuvenate the very upper layers of the skin. These are, for example, creams with abrasive particulates and utilizing crystals which are passed across the skin to sand the skin down. As a result the skin will generally feel smoother right after treatment with a diminished appearance of sun spots. The prices vary generally from $100 to $400
There is a wide range of topical products sold for sun spot treatment. Most involve a bleaching agent. When trying to treat individual spots, bleaching creams tend to bleach the surrounding areas more than the spots themselves. In my opinion these creams don't work as they should. All bleaching creams, Retin-As and alpha hydroxy acids make you more sensitive to the sun. And where did the age spots come from?
