What should you know about brown spot sun damage?

Sun spots, also called solar lentigines, are usually flat tan-to-brown marks on the face, hands, shoulders, chest, or other exposed areas. They can sit within broader sun-damaged skin, where texture, fine lines, and uneven tone may also develop. A photograph and examination help distinguish a stable pigment spot from a lesion needing closer assessment; colour alone cannot make that distinction.

Use broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin, reapply as directed, and add shade, clothing, and a hat when outdoors. Avoid picking or harsh scrubbing, which can deepen pigment after irritation. A dermatologist may discuss a chemical peel, IPL photofacial, picosecond laser treatment, or cryotherapy for a confirmed suitable spot. These options differ in downtime, pigment-change risk, and whether they treat a single lesion or a wider area.

Arrange a skin assessment promptly when a spot is new and distinctly different, grows, develops an irregular outline, shows several colours, crusts, bleeds, becomes persistently sore, or fails to heal. Seek earlier advice if many marks appear quickly or if a treated area becomes increasingly painful, swollen, or infected-looking.

Ask whether the mark is suitable for cosmetic treatment, whether it needs dermoscopy or another assessment first, what outcome is realistic for your skin tone, and how to protect the area afterward. Also ask how recurrence or new sun spots will be handled.