Brown spots on the skin can result from a number of reasons. Most often they are the result of sun damage, but can be due to trauma to the skin or hormonal changes. Sun spots, age spots, liver spots, solar lentigo, freckles or melasma are also referred to as “brown spots”.
Freckles on the skin are small flat brown spots usually noted on fair skinned people. They tend to increase in the summer with sun exposure and decrease in the winter. There are no required treatments for freckles as they are harmless forms of hyperpigmentation.
Melasma is the result of increase concentrations of pigment in the skin, usually on the face as a result of increase hormone levels or heredity. When occurring from pregnancy this type of brown spot is also known as the mask of pregnancy.
Sun spots or age spots are the brown discolorations that are larger in size, usually occurring at the beginning of mid life and do not generally fade during the winter months. They are often one of the five indicators of aging due to sun damage (the other signs are enlarged pores, sagging skin, wrinkles and spider veins).
Reducing sun exposure to the brown spots will lighten or at least prevent them from increasing. Removal treatments vary from topical bleaching creams, to skin peels in the form of microdermabrasion or chemical peels to lasers. A variety of lasers are available to treat hyperpigmentation making it a fast effective option. |
