Spots, sun spots and uneven facial tone

What is it and why does it appear?

Skin colour comes from melanin, produced by melanocytes. Ultraviolet light stimulates them, and over the years some of them produce melanin permanently and unevenly: that is how sun spots form on the cheeks, forehead, décolleté and hands. Melasma is different: symmetrical brown patches, usually from hormones (pregnancy, contraception) combined with sun, which recurs easily and needs a medical approach. Post-inflammatory marks (after acne or injury) are the third group and fade on their own over time, faster with help. Our treatments speed up the renewal of the epidermis, so the cells with excess melanin are replaced, and improve microcirculation; vitamin C and sunscreen at home prevent new ones ^[1]. Without sunscreen every day, the spots come back.

Types

• Sun spots: from years of sun exposure; respond well
• Melasma: symmetrical brown patches from hormones and sun; medical assessment first
• Post-inflammatory: after acne or injury; fade with time and renewal
• Moles and spots that change shape or colour: always a dermatologist

What to expect

Before and after: the tone becomes more even and the skin brighter from the first 2–3 sessions; the spots lighten gradually over 2–3 months. The result lasts as long as the sunscreen does: without daily protection, the sun makes them again.

Tips

• SPF 50 sunscreen every morning, all year, reapplied at midday
• Vitamin C in the morning, under the sunscreen
• Hat and shade at peak hours
• No sunbeds