What do you need to know about brown spots on skin?

Posted by jamessmith01978 on January 24th, 2020

Brown spots on the skin are also known as hyperpigmentation. It occurs in some areas of the skin where the melanin is more than usual. It is that melanin that gives the eyes, skin and hair their colour.

Brown spots on skin are not a serious concern. And you will not have to undergo treatment. Though many people are willing to remove the spot from their skin. Depending on the cause, people may call some of the dark spots on the skin age spots or sunspots.

Let us first understand the symptoms of the brown spots on the skin.

The spots are most common on the face, shoulders and back of the hands. It can range from light brown to dark brown. The colour of the spot may vary as per the person's skin colour. It has got the same texture as that of the skin and is not at all painful.

Sizes may vary and can develop on any part of the body. Common areas are the places that are exposed to the sun.

Common areas where you can see dark spots are  -

back of the hands

face

back

shoulders

People who have dark skin, the spot is few shades darker their than skin colour. There are changes of the mark fading away within 6 to 12 months.

Causes

Sun damage

Also known as sun spots or liver spots, people may get these spots on their skin after being exposed to the sun. Areas of the body that get too much of sun exposure are most like to have sunspots.

Hormonal changes

Melasma is a skin condition leading to small patches causing skin discolouration. Conditions are common in women, especially during pregnancy. It is because of the changes in the hormonal balance.

Medication side effects

Types of medications can lead to the growth of skin pigmentation leading to dark spots. The common culprits are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), tetracyclines, and psychotropic drugs.

Inflammation

Dark spots often start from inflammation of the skin. The cause of these problems could vary including eczema, psoriasis, injury to the skin, and acne.

Diabetes

Diabetes may often lead some of the areas os the skin to become darker. Conditions liked to it include acanthosis nigricans, which causes darkened, velvety skin, and shin spots or diabetic dermopathy.

How to remove dark spots

Different laser treatments are available in the market. Common ones to treat dark spots is with the use of intense pulse light laser where the light targets the melanin and breaks up the dark spots. 

Microdermabrasion is the process where a dermatologist will use a special device that has an abrasive surface to remove the outer layer of the skin. This will further promote new collagen growth reducing the spots.

A chemical peel is another process where a solution is applied to the skin. This exfoliates the surface leading to new skin growth.

Prescription lightening cream works the best by bleaching the skin. But you need to be sure that it has its side effects too.

Apart from dermatological treatments and prescription medications, people have also found out some home remedies that will help reduce spots on the skin. There are different things that you can put to use like liquorice, raw milk, gram flour and so much more.

For the temporary covering of spots, cosmetics works the best. People use some cream-based concealer for decreasing the appearance of the spots.