After summer, and after prolonged sun exposure, you may start noticing uneven skin pigmentation, which can give your skin an unappealing look. You strive for a perfect tan, but as your skin darkens, imperfections on your face become more noticeable. The worst part is that you might not know how to remove sunspots from your face.
Not all is lost, and you can try some remedies. Understanding the cause of their appearance can help you prevent them in the future. In this article, we will discuss the factors that cause facial sunspots and how you can make them disappear.
Why do sunspots appear on the face?
UV rays stimulate the production of melanin in the skin. This substance aims to protect us from the harmful effects of the sun, but a distribution failure causes small brown clusters. These are commonly known as freckles, which are just clumps of melanin compacted into a tiny area of the skin. The reason they appear when you’re exposed to the sun is that the more UVA and UVB exposure you get, the greater the need for melanin. Probability laws tell us that, under these circumstances, facial sunspots are more likely to form.
If you pay attention, you’ll notice they appear more frequently in areas where the sun hits more directly: the nose, cheekbones, chin, shoulders, and neckline. This happens because these zones are much more exposed to UVA rays than other parts of the body, which are relatively shielded by its structure. Although spots could appear elsewhere, as we’ve mentioned, the sun’s impact is less intense in those areas, reducing the need for melanin production.
The downside of this natural protection system is that over time, with prolonged exposure, you increase the chances of imperfections and uneven pigmentation.
How to remove sunspots from your face
There are various home and professional methods available. Naturally, the treatments provided by your favorite esthetician are more effective, but that doesn’t mean home remedies aren’t helpful.
As mentioned earlier, spots may result from accumulated imperfections in the upper layers of the skin, so the key is to remove those layers. Exfoliation with creams is often effective, but if you don’t see improvement, a chemical peel is a more aggressive option. We’ve already discussed how to do a facial peel with glycolic acid. These treatments will eliminate surface imperfections in the epidermis, including spots, pimples, small scars, and melanin clusters. However, your tan will also fade.
Keep in mind that following the steps mentioned in the referenced articles will leave your skin more sensitive, so you must be cautious about sun exposure afterward. The best advice is to avoid these treatments during summer.
Another crucial factor to prevent facial sunspots—and avoid needing to remove them—is using sunscreen with a high protection factor. A good UVA and UVB screen will reduce the need for melanin production, thereby lightening the appearance of brown spots.
As always, if you don’t want to spend money, take a look at the facial rejuvenation section, where you’ll find more treatments and products to help you out.
Hello, I would like some help. I need to know how I can remove the spots that appeared on my buttocks after getting hyaluronic acid injections. I had the injections a year and a half ago, and for about 6 months now, they’ve become red and I don’t know what to do. Could you help me? Thank you.
Hello Kari,
Are the spots on both buttocks? Are they just spots, or are they also hardened?
If they are just spots, it could be a superficial allergic reaction. However, if the area is hardened, the hyaluronic acid might be compacted and not flowing correctly. The best thing is for the same person who did the injections to check them, or, if not possible, a doctor from the same clinic.
The reason for seeing someone from the same clinic is that they will have records of the type of product used and the common side effects with that product. They will also be able to check if it’s a superficial skin reaction or something deeper by palpating. If they confirm that it’s just skin spots and not side effects, perhaps rosehip oil or a cream with vitamin C could work well for you. I wouldn’t advise anything else except having a specialist review it.
The spots I have on my face don’t go away with anything
Hello Loida,
Many times, it’s necessary to treat the skin for months to see results. If the sunspots on your face are very strong, maybe a dermatologist can help you better by examining you. You could also try retinoic acid, peels, or some laser treatments that work to remove the superficial epidermis and improve the skin’s coloration. There are different viable options.
Thank you for your advice, it will be very useful for me.
Hello, I have spots on my face, cheekbones, and upper lip. I’ve used creams, but nothing works. They are very strong, what should I do?
Hello, good evening, I have a lot of spots on my face due to sun exposure and welding rays. How can you help me?
I need information about the benefits of ascorbic acid because I was prescribed it for kidney problems to protect my organs.
I would like to know if I can apply Vitamin C pills to my face as a mask. Thank you.
Hello, my nose has become stained from the sun. What can I do?
I have spots on my cheekbones, I’ve tried everything, even 5% hydroquinone, but nothing works. Please help me.
¿Has probado el láser? En algunas casos va muy bien ya que provoca la regeneración de la piel, la capa superficial la elimina. Eso sí, debe realizarse en los meses con poco sol.
I no longer believe in any treatments or home remedies. I’ve tried many things, and nothing eliminates these horrible spots.
Peeling is a very effective treatment for removing sunspots, as is laser treatment. Home remedies work well for minor redness or small imperfections, but if the spots are pronounced, it’s best to have them treated by a dermatologist in a clinic. There are various options, like peeling, fractional laser, dual laser, and photo rejuvenation, which is a facial rejuvenation technique that regenerates the skin’s outer layer, IPL laser, etc.
The ideal thing is to seek professional help to eliminate those spots on your face. On one hand, you’ll be sure it’s done by an expert, and on the other, you’ll avoid wasting time and getting frustrated. I would visit an aesthetic clinic and see what they say. Then, you can decide if the treatment price for facial spots is worth it.
Personally, I had a lot of spots on my face: forehead, cheekbones, nose, acne scars, a very dark lentigo. I tried many products, cosmetics, but I went to the dermatologist. He scolded me for wasting my money. He prescribed Betarretin H along with Dermosupril. Every night, I apply the equivalent of a lentil’s size for my entire face, after cleaning it, of course. The next morning, I follow my cleaning routine, use a regular to good moisturizer, and SPF 50 sunscreen. Now, I use BB cream or CC cream. Within three weeks, the spots started disappearing. Now, six years later, my skin is better than in my 20s and 30s. I’m approaching 50, and I have clean, smooth skin without spots, open pores, or wrinkles. It’s truly a 360-degree change, from having a heavily stained face to having skin with an even tone. It’s amazing…