Bad news. New studies prove that air pollution can cause liver spots on your skin.

Yes those same age spots on your face and hands that instantly make you look older.

Unfortunately, if you live in a big city, there isn’t much you can do about the pollution surrounding you. Sure you can live as greenly as possible (which is a great idea for both your health and the environment), but unless everyone in your city goes completely green overnight, it won’t make any difference to the air quality around you.

So what to do!?

Prevent, prevent, prevent.

If you don’t have dark spots now, you probably aren’t really worried about them, but when it comes to healthy and youthful skin, the best plan of attack is always prevention. Here are the best prevention techniques to avoid age spots:

• Wear sunscreen each and every single day. Even if you spend most of your day inside, UV rays can penetrate windows of your car or your office. So make sure to apply SPF 30 or higher everyday, and don’t forget the backs of your hands where age spots commonly form.
• Re-apply. If you are spending time in the sun, remember that sunscreen doesn’t last forever. Re-apply every couple of hours to make sure you are continually protected.
• Tanning is a no-no. Tanning beds and laying in the sun are both horrible for your skin. If you want that summery glow, instead opt for sunless tanners and bronzers.
• Update your air filters. The air in your home and car should be as pollutant free as possible. So make sure to keep your air filters up-to-date so that most of the pollutants are cleaned away.
• Get some house plants. Natures natural air cleaners. Not only do plants clean the air for you, but they will help make your house a little more zen, and we all know stress is bad for the skin.

 Already have brown spots? Here’s what to do:

If you already have brown spots, you aren’t completely out of luck. Expert dermatologists can use a variety of treatments depending on how sever your spots are. Everything from lightening creams, to non-abrasive laser treatments, to pulsed light treatments. Book an appointment with your dermatologist to get your skin assessed.

Reporting for The Skiny,

Samantha

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