Fading Age Spots and Dark Marks

A dark mark is easy to notice and hard to ignore, and that is exactly when people overspend. Before you pay for anything that promises to fade it, it helps to know what the published options are and what each one asks of you.

What the options look like

The American Academy of Dermatology says one or two laser treatments can treat age spots quickly, and you’ll likely have longer-lasting results than with a cream that can fade age spots. The academy's page on what can get rid of age spots sets that choice beside the others. A separate academy article covers how to fade dark spots in darker skin tones, which is worth reading first if that describes you.

Guides in this section

• IPL Photofacial for Sun Spots answers what a light-based treatment for sun-related pigment involves.

Another route to compare

Chemical peels are another option for age spots. Dermatologic surgeons explain chemical peels for age spots on their own page, and it makes a fair counterpoint to the laser material above.

Before you pay for a fix

Two questions are worth asking any provider. What exactly will you treat, and how will we both know it has worked? A provider who cannot answer the second one clearly is asking you to pay for a result nobody has defined.

Sun spots or surface marks

Start with the IPL guide above if sun spots are your concern. If you are weighing a surface treatment, the microdermabrasion guide covers what a session is for.