How I Erased My Age Spot

Age spots (even the stubborn ones) can be removed or at least significantly lessened with the right products. I tracked the progression and regression of my age spot to learn what finally erased the little demon and it didn’t require a magic potion (unless you count tretinoin) or a lucky penny in a wishing well.

WHAT WORKED FOR ME:

• Prescription (RX) strength tretinoin (a.k.a Retin-A)
• Consistency
• Time

WHAT DID NOT WORK FOR ME:

• Retinol (even the expensive ones)
• IPLs (only worked on small spots)

QUICK SUMMARY:

1. Noticed the spot in mid-2015 and treated it with one round of IPL. The spot didn’t budge.
2. Began an OTC retinol treatment (purchased through my dermatologist’s office) for wrinkles in May 2016 and used continually through late 2017, but I was not satisfied. There was no noticeable wrinkle reduction with the retinol, nor did it have any effect on my spot.
3. I requested a script from the derm’s office to obtain RX-strength tretinoin* (tret) in late 2017 but my request was denied. I was informed the RX tret was too expensive and to stick with the “more affordable” retinol I was purchasing through their office. I was also told tret wouldn’t remove my age spots (even though the internet told me otherwise). She recommended that I continue with the retinol and schedule additional IPLs, but I refused further treatment at that office and began to look elsewhere^.
4. Starting in 2018, I began a yearlong contract with a med spa where I received multiple IPL treatments, with some success on my face and chest, but my age spot did not diminish.
5. The age spot had significantly darkened by 2020 so I finally purchased RX strength tretinoin and began to use it consistently starting in October 2020.
6. By mid-2021, the age spot had been nearly erased and remains so today.

COMPLETE RUNDOWN:

1. I can’t recall when the little demon first surfaced, but by mid-2015 we’d been officially introduced. I was in my mid-30s with a stable job and anti-aging on the mind (and all over my internet searches) so I tried the professional route and scheduled an appointment with a well-reviewed dermatologist office. 
2. I was met with a beautiful, fresh-faced “older woman” (I believe she said she was 48). She was not a medical professional, but during our consultation she introduced me to all the possible services and products offered at the derm’s office. Her highest recommendation for maintaining and reversing the physical signs of aging on the face was a $285 serum that lasted 2-3 months per bottle. I believed her when she swore by its effectiveness and that she herself used it because her skin was absolutely luminous, but being the frugal woman I am, there was no way I would purchase such an expensive product consistently (though months later I did splurge on one bottle for my birthday). Instead, I signed up for 3 IPL sessions with any future treatments to be decided at a later date.
3. My first round of IPL was on May 29, 2015 (pics below). The session was a success and many of my small spots were removed. About 10 days after the treatment, I remember being able to literally wipe away some of the spots from my face. It was oddly satisfying. The other two IPLs were used on my chest and shoulders. I picked the shoulder area in preparation for a strapless dress for my wedding. The shoulder session was hugely rewarding and years of sunspots from tank tops and bikini straps were virtually wiped away. My shoulders had never looked better. Still, the age spot on the left side of my face remained.
4. Months later I began a retinol regime with products purchased through their office and continued purchasing the same retinol for more than a year. That was until the dam broke in late 2017 and my cup of dissatisfaction runneth over. I had smiled in a public mirror and noticed my skin wasn’t as springy as before. I also noticed my old age spot had expanded and darkened. It’s fascinating how I could look at my face every day but see no difference until one day too many had pass and the small changes finally tallied up. That tally also now included small spots on my cheeks that had spread and darkened. I was annoyed and a bit perturbed since I had spent close to a year and a half (and hundreds of dollars) faithfully applying an expensive retinol cream for my face and wrinkles not to improve. 
5. I visited the derm again, but this time consulting with the nurse practitioner who had performed my IPLs. I inquired of a second solution for removing the age spot and had read beforehand that tretinoin could remove it, but (as stated in the Summary) my request was denied. I was informed the RX tret was too expensive and to stick with the “more affordable” retinol I was purchasing through their office. I was also told tret wouldn’t remove my age spots (even though the internet told me otherwise). She recommended that I continue with the retinol and schedule additional IPLs, but I refused further treatment at that office and began to look elsewhere. I didn’t want to pay the hundreds of dollars for more IPL sessions, so I moved on, accepted the spot, then later forgot about it. 
6. But the spot didn’t forget about me. I took a photo in August 2020 (pic above) for a separate purpose, but I couldn’t ignore that the spot had grown and continued to darken. By this time, I had completed additional IPL treatments as part of a yearlong contract with a med spa I had joined in 2018, but as the photos clearly demonstrate, the IPLs were not successful in removing the spot. So off to the internet I went. I spent a lot of time on skin care reddit forums and YouTube videos searching for ideas and suggestions of what had worked for others until I reached the same conclusion I had before I last stepped out of the derm’s office. I needed RX-strength tretinoin. 
7. Finally, in October 2020 I purchased my first RX-level tretinoin. I began with the .05 strength and later flipped between the .05 and .1 strengths and by mid-2021, the spot was nearly erased. I still continue to use my tretinoin cream and have stayed consistent with the .05 strength in the cream application (as my skin never fully adjusted to the higher strengths and I’d have slight peeling). But with the .05 cream, my face no longer has peeling or redness, and my age spot has stayed away and no new ones have arrived to take its place. 

*Many countries outside the U.S. and Canada do not require a prescription to purchase tretinoin. 

^My experience at this dermatologist’s office was both positive and negative. They also performed my first (and only) botox treatment there in March 2016 as a wrinkle preventive and I enjoyed that result. However, I found botox to be cost-prohibitive to maintain and the area they treated (my forehead) has never been an area of concern for me.