I'm 32 years old, and I have dark spots on my face. Best Treatment for Dark Spots?

Fractional laser is an amazing and highly effective treatment in our office. We use the laser treatment to help with acne scars, large pores, fine wrinkles, tissue collagen loss, scars, sebaceous hyperplasia, active acne, and for brightening dark pigmentation. Although there are very strong fractional lasers such as CO2 laser, we use lighter treatments for corrective skincare and maintenance of results. Our Thulium fractional laser, clear and brilliant laser, and Ultra Thulium laser are excellent options in our clinic. We also perform CO2 fractional and erbium depending on skin tone and tolerance for downtime. Patients do have to use a Melarase cream before and after treatment to help further reduce pigmentation after laser. Dark spots can improve with these treatments. I recommend fractional laser for incisional scars as well, especially after plastic surgery.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Creams and makeup can only address the outer surface of the skin. But dark spots actually originate from melanin producing cells stemming from  deeper skin layers. Laser offers the most effective way to clear dark spots. Applications are highly targeted to destroy melanocyte cells and the pigmentation so that the remnants can be carried away by the body. Furthermore laser is unlike chemical-based treatments since the energy used will not incur unwanted toxic effects in other parts of the body. If you’d like to learn more about laser treatment for age spots and see actual patient examples, see this article written by my office at the Dr.U Clinic. 

Daily sun protection is a must as the panel has suggested, however lasers targeted for pigment may provide great treatment options.  For our patients recommend for age pigmented spots the Quality Switched 755-nm Alexandrite laser.  This laser works very well for pigment with minimal downtime and great results in reducing pigmented lesion appearance. Usually we recommend at least four to six treatments depending on your response at a month a part.  in order to get the best answer for treatment we recommend visiting a board certified dermatologist who has training or expertise in laser use.

Thank you for the question.  This is a very common problem.  We treat aging skin with age spots, sun damage or hyper-pigmented lesions with a combination of Silk Peel dermalinfusion with IPL photofacial and a topical skincare regimen.  With the Silk Peel we use an infusible serum called Lumixyl (decapeptide 10).  The Silk Peel removes the top layers of the skin while Lumixyl infusion potently blocks melanin production.  We then use IPL to directly attack the pigmented lesions with light energy.  These treatments can then be combined with topical skincare (Lumixyl topical as an example) to give the best and highly effective results.  This combimation therapy will also give added elasticity to help with skin laxity and pore size reduction.  Hope that helps.  
Best of Luck,
Dr. Paul Flashner

Brown spots on the skin, typically on the face, chest, shoulders, and back of hands can be the direct result of unprotected exposure to the sun. They can also be a result of hormonal changes and are a common skin problem that we consult many of our patients about.The flat spots on the skin, also called age spots, sun spots, solar lentigines, or liver spots (even though they have nothing to do with the liver) are triggered after prolonged sun exposure. When the sun’s UV rays hit the skin, they damage the pigment-producing cells called melanocytes and causing a spike in production of the skin pigment called melanin. They’re common in patients with fair skin, but they can also appear in those with darker skin.These spots range in color from brown to tan to dark brown based on how much sun exposure you’ve had—and cause your skin to look blotchy, freckled, and uneven. And they vary in size, again depending on how much sun you’ve been exposed to.Link to hormones: As hormone levels may change during events such as pregnancy or due to birth control pills, brown, uneven patches can appear on a woman’s face when the skin is exposed to the sun. It seems that sunlight triggers the pigment-producing cells in the skin to go into overdrive. Called the melasma, these dark patches may persist and not improve even with bleaching creams.We commonly treat these brown spots or patches with chemical peels (which exfoliate the outermost layer of skin, removing the dark spots), light therapy and lasers (the energy blasts away pigment).

First, have these spots evaluated by a dermatologist to make sure they are benign.  Sun spots, melasma, and other facial hyperpigmentation are often treated with a combination of sunscreen, prescription bleaching creams containing hydroquinone, non-hydroquinone containing creams, peels, retinoids, and laser treatments.  And it's always essential to protect your skin from the sun. 

The dark spots need to be evaluated as to palpability and location. In other words brown spots on the legs may react differently than those on the face. Also, if the brown spot is elevated than that will require a different treatment than a flat lesion. If the lesion is discrete or a confluent patch also will tell the dermatologist how to approach these dark spots.
In general, creams wont work for elevated , palpable dark spots and may work for flat spots. Depending on the type of spot it is will let the dermatologist choose the best method of treatment , whether or not to use laser, creams, or cryosurgery, or a combination of the above.