Uneven Skin Tone, Discoloration, Freckles

SUN DAMAGE, UNEVEN SKIN TONE, DISCOLORATION & FRECKLES

Uneven skin tone, discoloration and freckles can develop for a variety of reasons, however, these conditions commonly appear due to genetics and exposure to the sun’s UV light.

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About Sun Damage and Discoloration

Freckles are small flat, brown spots that appear in areas of excessive sun exposure like the cheeks, nose, and shoulders. People who have fair, pale skin are often more susceptible to having freckles.

Melasma is a skin condition that causes larger brown patches of skin to appear on a person’s face. These patches of skin are typically seen on the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin. Melasma can occur due to a change in hormones, usually when a woman is pregnant, or taking hormone medicines like birth control pills. This condition often improves with removal of the hormones and strict sun exposure avoidance, can take several months and return in the future.

Numerous treatment options are available, but sun avoidance and daily sunblock is the first step in preventing it.

Treatment Options:

IPL and Excel V Laser: These light energy treatments helps eliminate sun damage, freckles and brown spots. These devices emit different wavelengths of light each time the machine is fired. The brown spots on the skin absorb the light energy from the device and will darken then peel off the skin within 7-10 days after the procedure. You may experience redness for 3-7 days after receiving a laser treatment similar to a mild sunburn. The number of sessions needed is dependent on the amount of sun damage and brown spots on the skin of each patient

Chemical Peels: There are several types of chemical peels that can be used to correct discoloration or uneven skin tone by removing the top layer of darker skin and allowing new healthy skin to replace it. Multiple treatments are often needed to blend the freckles and sun damage into an even uniform skin tone.

Prescription Treatments: A dermatologist will help prescribe a skin care regimen to use at home between laser or chemical peels to keep improving your skin treatment results and prevent new spots from appearing. Medications like Hydroquinone, Tretinoin and Triluma are often used for skin care maintenance and prepare the skin for treatments like lasers or chemical peels.

“Brown discoloration on the skin, especially melasma, can be difficult and frustrating to treat as it always seems to return upon the slightest bit of sun exposure. Besides the importance of protecting the skin from the sun, there are not many over the counter products that are strong enough to be an effective solution. I use a customized treatment approach that combines compounded prescription ingredients applied at home with office based medical treatments like lasers and peels. This treatment approach rapidly leads to the removal and prevention of unwanted brown pigmentation on my patient’s skin.”

-Dr. George Skandamis