Skin treatment for sun spots

Sun spots are usually flat tan or brown marks on exposed areas such as the face, hands and shoulders. They reflect increased pigment in a local area after repeated ultraviolet exposure. Similar-looking dark patches can have other causes, including melasma or a changing skin lesion, so appearance alone cannot confirm the diagnosis.

A clinician may examine the mark closely and ask whether it is new, changing or symptomatic. This check should happen before pigment-targeting treatment, because a suspicious lesion should be assessed rather than treated as a cosmetic spot.

Use shade, protective clothing and broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin. A clinician may discuss a chemical peel, IPL photofacial, picosecond laser treatment or cryotherapy for a confirmed sun spot. The choice depends on the mark, skin tone, location, tendency to pigment and the amount of downtime acceptable to you.

After treatment, follow wound-care instructions and protect the area from ultraviolet exposure. Pigment can temporarily darken, lighten or become uneven after procedures, particularly when skin is irritated. Avoid picking, unprescribed bleaching products and home freezing treatments.

Book a prompt skin assessment for a spot that changes in size, shape or colour, develops several shades, bleeds, crusts, hurts or does not heal. A new or unusual mark also deserves examination before a cosmetic procedure.

Ask what confirms the diagnosis, whether a closer examination is needed, which treatment fits your skin tone, how many sessions may be considered, what recovery involves and how to prevent new spots.