What should you know about dark spots from sun exposure?

Sun-triggered pigmentation often appears on areas that receive light, including the face, forearms, shoulders, and upper chest. A flat, sharply defined mark may fit a sun spot. Patchy facial colour on both sides can fit melasma, and a mark left after a pimple, burn, or rash may be post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Tinea versicolor more often causes lighter or darker patches with fine scale. These patterns overlap, so a photograph or online description cannot replace an examination when the diagnosis is uncertain.

Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to exposed skin and combine it with shade, sunglasses, clothing, and a hat. Be consistent even when the weather feels mild, because incidental exposure can maintain uneven tone. Keep skincare gentle and introduce only one pigment-focused product at a time. For persistent marks, a dermatologist may consider a skin brightening treatment, chemical peel, or picosecond laser treatment after checking the cause and your likelihood of irritation or post-treatment pigment.

Have a clinician examine a patch that changes in size, shape, colour, or texture, or one that bleeds, crusts, hurts, or does not heal. A new rough area on frequently exposed skin also deserves attention. Prompt review helps separate ordinary pigmentation from an infection, inflammatory condition, or lesion requiring a different plan.

Ask what features support sun-related pigmentation, whether any medicine or skincare product is contributing, and how to protect your skin while considering treatment.