I had some removed/burned and more came back. I noticed that self tanners brought out more spots too, so I'm backing off of the tanning cremes... it seems like a never ending war of the spots.... I'm sort of embracing them but will definitely be watching this post for tips.

Mitch, validation!

I got this huge brown blotch on my leg that I *thought* came from self-tanner. Then I got another one and I *knew*. But I had never heard of this before. It was enough to keep me from putting it on my face, though.

FWIW, the blotches appear on my shins, as opposed to places where there is more fat. Maybe you need a certain amount to fat to process or absorb what's in the tanner tube.

Recently been wearing a BB cream from Korea that has a lightener, sunscreen, good coverage and supposedly a wrinkle-reliever. (Etude House)

yes Jamies, isn't that odd, although it's logical when you think of it. duh, pulling pigment through self tanning can equal freckles and age spots.

doesn't happen to all people I guess, if you are young and do not have age spots to begin with, you won't have that problem with self tanners.

Your theory about thickness or thinness of the skin makes sense....

Hold up.... I'm lost on this thing about sunless tanners bringing on spots. Going to dig around more later.

None I've tried made a damn bit of difference. Waste of money.

I'm with Shee - don't understand at all how a self tanner pulls up your own pigment and causes age spots. That doesn't make sense to me.

Aren't most self tanners a form of stain? I don't use these, so it would seem that light spots that might not otherwise show will show up.

I have some age spots on my forearms that I really do not like. I thought of buying Aveeno lotion, but don't know if that works at all.

Self tanners aren't a stain. They contain a chemical, dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that interacts with the dead skin cells at the surface of the skin causing a color change.

My dermatologist used some freezing stuff to "burn" off age spots on my hands. It's been a couple of years, and they haven't returned. I try to wear sunscreen on my hands every day.

Here is a link that might be useful: How sunless tanners work

From what I've been reading, the tanners might accentuate/darken an already existing but barely showing age/sun spot. A few of the spots I believe showed up after using the sunless towels have not gone away even after a few months .

I used the Marcelle tanning towelettes last time and that's when I noticed the new spots. Before that I was using the
Jergens gradual tanner and it did not make spots darker.

Interesting, but I'm also interested in an answer to the initial question about OTC retinol....anyone recommend any specific brands or experiences to share?

I am naturally a freckleface and many have morphed into age spots. I am of the generation that worshipped the sun and spent many hours on the beach and by the pool. I have a few spots frozen off and that worked well. For an OTC skin lightener, I like Murad Rapid Age Spot Serum. I have a hard time sticking with products that work slowly, though. I want instant results!

Let me clarify that I am looking for retinol products to remove age spots, and I do not ever use self tanners. This is not about self tanners........

I am the same as dedtired. Freckles have morphed into a map of the USA on my face and a map of the world on my chest.

I have one spot that bothers me in the middle of one cheek, about the size of a dime. I have literally tried everything including the "burn it off" at the dr., and it has never budged. I think it seems to be fading a bit recently and I actually have no idea why. I can't believe it would be the Neutrogena visibly even moisturizer, but maybe??

I recently got Avon Anew glycolic peel pads and exfoliating cleanser based on rave reviews I saw somewhere. Can't tell yet if it's making a difference but I have seen various glycolic peel pads recommended for sun spots, so might be worth trying.

I tried some bee jelly on age spots once (sort of by accident) and it seemed to lighten them fairly quickly.

Of course, unless we gardeners stop splashing insecticides all over the environment, bee products may become impossible to acquire.

Roc has worked well on my face.

Nanny, sorry that your thread took another tangent, yes we do want to know what are the best products to remove them
of course !!!!!

I had to go to the dermatologist for another matter and asked to get a prescription for actual retin a cream. The generic with insurance was a lot cheaper than the OTC I was trying and is working better for other things. I did not have age spots so I can't answer to that.
Not sure if that is an option for you?

I'm so glad to see this thread. I'd like to lighten age spots on my face and hands.

sueb20, I have a couple of those big spots on my face as well, not freckles, but lighter and more irregular. I must admit, I don't use sunscreen like I should anymore and they have gotten worse. I use Neutrogena moisturizer with 45 spf. Is that the one you use?

I used to use RetinA with good results, but in the summer I am out in the sun a lot, and it's not good to use it and then have sun exposure. So I just quit using it.

I have used Avon banishing cream but couldn't tell it made any difference. I had a skin peel last year and it didn't faze those big spots.

I'm like dedtired, I want instant results, or at the most I'd like to see that it's starting to work in a week.

I have yet to try the ROC products, but have used Alpha Hydrox Retinol ResQ. Can't report anything because I failed to use it consistently. It appears to have the highest amount of Retinol you can buy OTC which was why I bought it. And if you compare the ingredients of the two products, retinol appears higher in the list for the ResQ.

Edited to add that amazon doesn't list all the of the ingredients in the ROC formula.

This post was edited by sheesharee on Wed, Aug 27, 14 at 19:55

Allure mag published a list of 11 myths about retinol products you might find of interest...

Here is a link that might be useful: Biggest myths

I would not use retinol for spots. I use something with hydroquinone. You will not notice for quite some time but it works. I live in California and I put a hat on if I am outdoors for more than a few minutes.
As for retinol I prefer Roc.

Thanks for the great myths article, Annie. I get frustrated with no results after a month or two. It looks like I just need to be more patient and keep at it for a longer period, and it appears that ROC seems to be a favorite. I did try that once, but guess I was not consistent enough in my application. IâÂÂll give it another try, and the hydroquione, too! Will check back with results, (or not), in about six months or more....

Has anyone tried something like this one? Just wondering as from what I read, the potency on OTC products is a big issue and this one seems to be straightforward about how much retinol is in it...

Here is a link that might be useful: retinol

Nanny - if you like ROC, then I would see a dermatologist and get a prescription for a formula with a higher retinol content. You'll probably see more of a difference.

A couple of years back I had a dark spot near one temple. Actually kind of a bit of little spots around the outside of one eye - you know like the dark spots a pregnant woman will sometimes get? I can't remember what that is called but I think I got it from the pill. It has something to do with hormones. I cannot remember the brand of what I bought - but I bought it from a spa (which was associated with a plastic surgeon) and they sold items that were not available in say, a drugstore. They are sold through a doctor's office, spa, etc. Worked great and the spot faded away within a couple of months. I now use ROC as an aging preventative. If/when I get any dark spots again, I won't hesitate to find something stronger.

You might want to talk with a dermatologist about using the Obagi products I have used the line of products for almost 5 years with great results. No more brown spots! You can Google to see results on their website. It includes retin A as well as hydroquinone. It is expensive initially but I find I run out of the products at different rates so I just replace one product when needed.

Have you considered trying something other than creams, such as a peel or IPL? I used prescription Retin A for years and never noticed it having an effect on dark spots.

This post was edited by jellytoast on Thu, Aug 28, 14 at 11:19

Side note: I just got back from seeing the dermatologist for my annual skin check. (And what now looks like annual minor skin surgery -- last fall I had a basal cell carcinoma removed, this fall I'm getting a suspicious mole removed.) I asked her about these patches of what look like "dirty" skin on the side of my neck. It is from old sunburn but just looks light brown now, like dirt. Previously I had asked an aesthetician and she called it melasma (is that what you were thinking of, tina?) but the dermatologist called it something else, which of course I can't recall now. But she gave me a prescription for hydroquinone cream and said to use it every day for 8 weeks, but for no longer than 8 weeks. Just FYI. I know you can find it online too but of course there, no one tells you not to use it for more than 8 weeks! (I think there's some association w/ cancer risk if you use it long term?)

I found this on line:
There are several reasons why I donâÂÂt think using hydroquinone is a good idea:

It whitens skin by killing��"yes, KILLING��"your skinâÂÂs pigment cells. I donâÂÂt know about you, but I donâÂÂt really want to intentionally off my own cells.
It can cause irritation and contact dermatitis.
It degenerates collagen and elastin fibres (which, uh, weâÂÂre supposed to be *strengthening* to keep ourselves looking young and fresh).
In darker-skinned individuals, it may cause ochronisis, which is a skin disorder characterized by âÂÂprogressive sooty darkening.â Right.
ItâÂÂs known to cause DNA damage and mutations.
Most scary of all, itâÂÂs linked to cancers in humans such as leukemia.
Now, all of these things are associated with large doses over extended periods of time, which is why youâÂÂre not supposed to use products with hydroquinone any longer than six months. Probably youâÂÂll be okay if youâÂÂre using only a 2 percent formula for a few weeks at a time.

http://beautyeditor.ca/2010/10/27/why-hydroquinone-is-bad-for-you-albeit-effective-and-the-whiteningbrightening-line-i-recommend-instead/