All humans have some form of pigmented spotting along their skin. Whether you are born with these skin spots or develop them over time through aging or sun exposure, it’s essential to monitor your skin. You can discuss any changes in your skin markings with a dermatologist. Here are Skin Spots: Age Spots, Moles, Melasma, and Freckles Differences.
While most brown spots are harmless, some may be a sign of skin cancer. Here’s a brief overview of the most common forms of skin spots (along with best treatment options):
4 Common Types of Skin Spots
1. Freckles
Freckles are tiny, flat, circular spots that are typically beige or brown in color. They typically appear in groups and areas of the skin regularly exposed to the sun, like the face, arms, and legs.
Freckles often become darker after sun exposure and significantly lighten up in the winter months.
Options to get rid of freckles include topical skincare products (such as retinoid creams and vitamin C serums).
And also laser skin resurfacing treatments (such as Clear & Brilliant or Fraxel).
2. Age spots
Also referred to as sun spots or solar lentinges. Age spots are flat brown spots that appear when the skin is chronically exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, either from the sun or tanning beds.
Age spots commonly form on areas of the body most frequently exposed to the sun, like the face, hands, neck, décolletage, arms, and legs.
Treatment options for age spots include topical skin lightening products, chemical peels, laser treatments, and microdermabrasion.
3. Moles
A mole is a growth on the skin that can be flesh-colored, brown, or black. Moles can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups.
This can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). So, it’s critical to monitor any moles you have for changes.
We recommend monitoring the mole for changes to the ABCDE’s: Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, and Evolving.
Malignant moles should be removed by excision, a skin cancer treatment that surgically removes malignant moles or Mohs surgery, and non-cancerous moles can also be surgically removed if desired by the patient.
4. Melasma
Melasma is a common skin disorder that creates dark discoloration patches along the skin. It generally manifests itself in a brown or gray discoloration across the cheeks, forehead, nose, chin, or upper lip.
It is most often uniform and symmetrical on both sides of the face—hormonal changes within the body cause most melasma.
This can be treated with topical skin lightening treatments, chemical peels, or microdermabrasion. Laser treatments are often not recommended because laser heat makes melasma symptoms worse.
As we have seen, there are various types of skin spots but to minimize the visibility is first to do prevention. There are various remedies, but you may check out and ask for more info from experts. Skin Spots: Age Spots, Moles, Melasma, and Freckles Differences
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