You have a tan, blue-gray, or brown spots that is caused by a deposit or pigmented cells (melanocytes) at various depths under the skin surface. Brown spots can mean a few distinct conditions such as:
- Freckles
- Lentigines
- Melasma
- Hori’s nevus
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
- Birthmarks and moles
- Skin cancer
Therefore before you get down to seeking treatment for your brown spots, it is important to have your dermatologist diagnose your condition and prescribe the correct treatment.
What is the cause
That depends on the specific condition. However we can generally consider the common causes:
- Genetic predisposition. If your family members have similar condition, you are more likely to have it too.
- Female hormone. This explains why women are more prone to developing some of these conditions after child-birth or after taking oral contraceptives.
- Sun- exposure. Sunlight stimulates the formation of melanin in the skin and therefore results in brown pigmentation on the skin.
- Congenital. Some of these are already present at birth, especially birthmarks and congenital moles, though they might not be apparent till later in life. Injury to the skin and certain oral medications are responsible for brown pigments developing in the skin.
What are the treatments available
Sunblock and whitening creams can be used for some of the above conditions.
Before the development of pigment-specific lasers, most pigmented skin lesions could only either be left alone, or be treated with surgical excision which often leading to unsightly scar formation.
Modern pigment lasers can now treat the unwanted pigment in your skin and destroy it without scarring your skin. The following factors should be considered in your decision to undergo pigment laser treatment.