Typically the human skin remains a similar color pigment across most of the entire body. However, it is common for brown spots to appear on the skin due to triggers ranging from age to spending too much time in the sun. Although many of these spots are harmless, it's important to have areas of hyperpigmentation on your skin examined by your doctor to ensure they are not pre-cancerous or cancerous, as well as to learn your options for dealing with the spots if you choose to have them removed.
Retinoids
The topical retinoid tretinoin is a popular medication that is used to help fade brown and sunspots over time. When applied to the skin, tretinoin decreases cohesiveness of your skin's epithelial cells. It also encourages the epithelial cells to turn over faster, resulting in the shedding of hyperpigmented skin and the growth of more normal pigmented skin tissue in its place.
Bleaching Creams
Bleaching creams, such as the popular hydroquinone, can also be used to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmented spots on the skin. Hydroquinone works by decreasing the production of melanin on the spot-affected areas of the skin by inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase suggests the New Zealand Dermatological Society. It also helps to break down the excess melanin present in the spot to help lighten the affected skin.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is the process of destroying pigment in the brown and sun spots by freezing them. Liquid nitrogen is applied directly to the hyperpigmented area of the skin by your dermatologist. The freezing process destroys the excess melanin in the treated skin tissue, resulting in lighter skin once the area heals.
Lasers
Laser therapy is also commonly used to treat hyperpgimented spots on the skin. Like cryotherapy, laser therapy works by destroying the excess melanin pigment in the affected spot. However, instead of freezing the melanin, lasers use laser energy to break up the excess melanin pigment so that it can be reabsorbed by the skin and flushed out of the body by the immune system.
Chemical Peel
A chemical peel uses specially designed chemicals to peel off the outer layer of affected skin tissue, to allow newer, more even pigmented skin to replace it. Your dermatologist can choose a variety of peeling chemicals depending on your skin and the type of spot they are treating, ranging from mild low concentrations of hydroxy acids to more intensive phenol.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is one of the more invasive ways to get rid of age and brown spots. During dermabrasion an abrasive rotating wheel is used to sand off the skin affected by the age spot. As the skin heals, new more even-pigmented skin replaces the hyperpigmented skin, reducing the appearance of the spots. Although effective, this treatment can leave lingering pain and redness, as well as can form scabbing, which will dissipate as the area heals.
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