How to Remove Brown Spots

Episode #33 / Jun 25, 2009

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Brown spots on your face or even on the back of your hands can be very annoying and can make your skin feel much older. Fortunately there are at home treatments that can help lighten them significantly. You need four different products:

1. First you need sunscreen since brown spots are caused in the first place by to much sun exposure. You certainly want to use an effective sunscreen with an SPF of 30 preferably titanium zinc based to help prevent more dark spots or making your brown spots even darker.

2. Second you need a depigmentor or bleach cream usually hydroquinone based to stop the body from making extra new brown pigment.

3. Third a Vitamin C based topical antioxidant works with the depigmentor to help lower the amount of pigment that your cells will make.

4. Fourth a gentle chemical exfoliant usually glycolic based that will help peel off the extra layers of dead cells that are holding all of the brown pigment that has been made over those years as you are accumulating your brown spots.

If this program does not make your brown spots light enough you can see your dermatologist who can make them go away completely with either chemical treatment or laser treatment.

Brown spots develop over time on our face, hands, and chest. They're sometimes even called age spots. Dr. Schultz will share an at home regimen that can significantly lighten these spots, as well as some in-office alternatives to completely remove them.

COMMENTS (4)

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Dr. Schultz Essential Solar Defense Pads SPF 30

$40.00

MD Forte Facial Cream III Glycolic Acid

$60.00

Revercel Skin Lightening Lotion

$61.00

Cellex-C Advanced-C Serum

$120.00

CLICK HERE TO ADD A COMMENT

Karen on March 16, 2010 at 11:07pm

Is there a particular vitamin c product that you recommend?

Neal Schultz, M.D. on March 17, 2010 at 6:02pm

@Karen: For recommended vitamin c products, please see the Cellex-C product above in the "Related Products" section or consider the one I provide to my patients, Stallex C Complex Rescue Serum for Face.

Gina on June 18, 2010 at 1:56am

I am olive complected and have aquired the brown mask on both checks and upper lip. this shawdow makes my jowls look like they are drooping..and it is makeing me miserable. I went into menopause at the age of 28 because of ovarian cancer and the subsequent removal of my ovaries, etc. I am 43 now and look decent and younger than my peers, but compared to my sisters I look old...they both are in their 40's and look younger than 25.

Anyways, my question is since I have brown skin (brazilian) and have some white spots on my face and scattered about on my body, what would you recommend for me? Could I get laser treatment? I think the white spots are hypopigmentation correct? And because of that I hear laser treatment is not a option. How about the Obagi peel.

Please give me some direction as I am at wits end.

Thank you!! (I am so happy to have found a site like yours - GREAT JOB!!)

Gina

Neal Schultz, M.D. on June 28, 2010 at 8:18pm

@Gina: Thank you for your kind words! The answer to your question depends on the cause of your white spots. If from eczema, then low strength topical cortisones may help with decreasing the light color and allowing repigmentation. If the hypopigmentation is from skin injury (post inflammatory hypopigmentation) then the excimer laser may help to restore your pigmentation. See a dermatologist to determine the cause of your hypopigmentation and then the appropriate treatment.

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