What sun spots on the face may look like

Facial sun spots may look like flat tan, brown, or darker patches with a fairly distinct border. They are often found where sunlight reaches the skin, such as the cheeks, temples, nose, and forehead. Colour can look different across cameras, lighting, makeup, and skin tones, so an online image is a guide rather than a diagnosis. Freckles, melasma, post-inflammatory marks, and some skin cancers can look similar.

If you are monitoring a mark, take a clear, dated photograph in even light and include a familiar skin landmark for location. Avoid repeatedly touching or irritating it. Use sun protection while arranging an assessment. A dermatologist can use magnification or another examination method to decide whether a spot is suitable for cosmetic treatment.

Seek a prompt skin review for a mark that changes, has an uneven outline or several colours, becomes thicker, bleeds, crusts, hurts, itches persistently, or does not heal. Do not rely on a reassuring photograph when the spot is evolving.

Ask whether the appearance fits a sun spot, what alternatives should be excluded, whether a photograph is useful for follow-up, and which treatment would be appropriate if the diagnosis is confirmed.