Brown Spots…Dedicated Skin Care Helps

Brown spots on the face are common yet undesirable.  They are sometimes called liver spots, freckles, age spots, but the correct name is Solar Lentigo.  A solar lentigo is a flat, small area that becomes darker than the surrounding skin.  They occur in sun-exposed areas due to UVL causing the increased pigment in that area.  Most of the time these remain benign and simply a cosmetic issue.  However, at times they can change to a cancerous growth, making it important to have a dermatologist evaluate them yearly and more frequently if a change is noted.

So what can we do about them?  There are skin care products that can bleach and brighten the skin, but there is a proper way to use them.

Hydroquinone is an ingredient found in products that acts as a bleaching agent for the brown spots.  It is important to use this product appropriately:

Prepare the skin first by twice a day cleansing and toning the skin.  I find it best to use a physician strength line of products to ensure the quality and efficacy of the products.  This must be done daily for proper health of the skin, proper exfoliation of the dead skin cells and for the skin to be a proper pH to receive any other skin care products.

 

Exfoliate the skin twice a week with a fine particle scrub after cleansing and before toning in the morning.  After rinsing cleanser off, take a small amount of scrub and using fingers massage into skin with circular motion for 1 minute.  Rinse off and follow with toner.

 

Apply a physician strength hydroquinone product to the skin daily in the morning for 5-6 months.

 

Use a daily sunscreen

 

Once you have used the Hydroquinone product for 5-6 months, it is important to change to a brightening Non-Hydroquinone product such as vitamin C.  This can be used for 2-3 months before changing back to the hydroquinone product.  This allows your skin to replenish the natural melanin to that skin.  Natural melanin is needed for protection from the sun’s UVL rays.

 

Use of a topical Vitamin A, such as R.A. Cream or a physician strength Retinol will accelerate this process, improving results, but can also improve fine lines and wrinkles on the face.  This product can be used at night after cleansing and toning the skin.