Overview
The dark spots on your body are called age spots, which form when you have been out in the sun for too long. They can occur at just about any age, however, most spots form when you are over 40. Age spots are caused by the amount of melanin in your skin coagulating.
When your skin is exposed to sunlight for too long, it ruins the skin’s collagen and elastin, which are the chemicals that keep your skin young and fresh looking. Without collagen and elastin, dark spots form. There are things you can do, however, to remove dark spots on your body. The key is cleaning your skin, staying out of the sunlight and taking the right vitamins.
Step 1
Exfoliate the area around your dark spots. Buy a loofah or skin scrubber and a gentle, mild soap at your local pharmacy. The next time you are in the tub or shower, put the soap on your loofah and scrub into the dark spots on your skin. When you do this, you remove the outermost layer of your skin, which is the part that contains the most melanin.
Melanin is the chemical in your skin that contains the most pigment, which makes the spots on your skin appear dark. By getting rid of the outer layer of your skin, you can reduce the appearance of the dark spots.
Step 2
Buy skin cream. The Mayo Clinic recommends buying an over-the-counter skin cream to get rid of your dark spots. Make sure the cream you buy contains the ingredients hydroquinone, vitamin C and retinol.
If this doesn’t work, go to your dermatologist and get a prescription medication. The Mayo Clinic says a prescription that contains steroids will help remove dark spots on your body.
Step 3
Use lemon juice to remove dark spots on your body. Lemon juice is filled with a natural ingredient that can help bleach your skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots.
Use either fresh lemon and squeeze the juice, or lemon juice from a bottle. Put the juice onto a cotton ball and rub over the dark spots on your skin. Leave on the spots for at least 10 minutes.
Step 4
Use buttermilk to remove dark spots. Buttermilk works exactly like lemon juice in that its natural ingredients can fade the dark spots on your skin and your calves.
Buttermilk causes your skin cells to grow at a faster rate, replacing dead cells on your dark spots and reducing their color. Soak a cotton ball in buttermilk and hold over the spots, leaving on for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Stay out of the sun. UV rays of light are the main cause of your age spots. If you have to go out into the sun, cover as much of your body as you can. Wear a hat, sunglasses and clothes with long sleeves and pants. If it is necessary to be in direct sunlight, wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
