Many people are plagued by dark discolorations on the their bodies, ranging from freckles to birthmarks. Perhaps the most disconcerting of the benign or noncancerous spots are those that appear on the face. Such dark spots, especially if dark in tone compared to surrounding skin, can make a person feel self-conscious or embarrassed in social situations and cause decreased self-esteem because of perceived unsightliness.
Photo-aging
Probably the most prominent and least complicated type of dark spots on the face is caused by photo-aging, or aging because of exposure to sun rays. These spots are called lentigines, or more commonly, liver spots. They can be inherited, but most are caused by overexposure to the sun. The American Academy of Dermatology explains that sun's radiation results in oxidation of melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment on the skin. These then either overproduce melanin, causing dark spots, or completely cease producing melanin, causing a total lack of pigmentation. When the melanin is overproduced, it tends to clump together, causing the dark spots or hyperpigmentation to form. They are usually benign, but if significant changes occur to their size, shape or color, they should be checked by a doctor. The spots seem to increase in number as people age and can therefore be referred to as age spots.
Treatments For Photo-aging
Some treatments are available to reduce the color or intensity of age spots, such as cryotherapy, or freezing, hydroquinone preparations, or bleaching the skin, retinoids, chemical peels and laser treatments. These can be costly and painful. To avoid the expense and discomfort of treatment, apply sunscreen regularly to protect skin from photo-aging, especially on parts of the body exposed to sunlight on a daily basis, such as face, hands and arms.
Acne Scars And Darkened Skin
Many people who have moderate to severe acne may have developed scarring and dark spots on their faces. The dark spots are not the same as the scars. The spots result from what is called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH and are usually not raised. Conversely, an acne scar is usually pitted, showing a noticeable depression in the skin. According to Angela Palmer, a licensed aesthetician and acne sufferer, as well as author for the popular site About.com, these dark spots, or PIH macules, tend to look like "new" skin, shiny and smooth. Similar to photo-aging, the spots are caused by increased stimulation of the melanocytes.
Treatment For PIH Macules
Most PIH macules fade over time, but treatments can lighten the intensity. Hydroquinone creams of higher concentration actually work by blocking the enzyme that produces melanin, reducing hyperpigmentation.
Medical Causes For Dark Spots
Some dark spots have other causes. According to Micheal Clark and Parveen Kumar, authors of "Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine," hyperpigmentation is a common response to hormones and therefore can occur from use of birth control medications and menopausal medications and from pregnancy; most of this hyperpigmentation can be corrected or eliminated. Some hormonal disease conditions, such as thyroid disease and other less common disorders, cause similar overstimulation of melanocytes.
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