What should you know about sun spots on Asian skin?

A sun spot is usually a flat, well-defined tan or brown patch caused by accumulated ultraviolet exposure. Asian skin includes a wide range of tones and pigment responses, so a mark may coexist with melasma, post-inflammatory pigmentation or uneven tone. A clinician should check the pattern, surface and distribution before calling every dark patch a sun spot. Facial marks that follow both sides of the face may need a different approach from isolated spots on the hands.

Use daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, reapply during prolonged outdoor exposure, and add shade or a hat. Keep skincare gentle while the area is being assessed. Treatment choices can include a chemical peel, IPL photofacial, picosecond laser treatment or cryotherapy, but settings and aftercare should be individualised for your skin tone. Ask how the clinician will reduce heat, irritation and post-treatment pigment change, and what to do if the area darkens.

Book an assessment if a patch is new, enlarging, uneven in colour, scaly, bleeding or repeatedly irritated. Seek prompt care for a sore that does not heal or a spot that changes quickly. These features deserve evaluation regardless of ethnicity or how much time you spend outdoors.

How will you distinguish a sun spot from melasma or post-inflammatory pigmentation? What treatment settings and aftercare fit my skin tone? How should I respond if the treated area becomes darker?