If you have brown spots appearing on your face and body, the sun may be to blame. Sun spots occur after excessive sun exposure and can make your skin look splotchy and older. Sun spots can be frustrating, but fortunately, your skin care team and certified laser technicians offer treatments that decrease their appearance and improve your skin tone. Are the discolorations you’re finding on your skin sun spots? Here is what you need to know.
What exactly are sun spots?
Sun spots are flat, brown patches of discolored skin. They appear on the face, hands, arms, shoulders, chest, and other parts of your body that receive sun exposure. They usually occur after the age of 40, as the result of accumulated sun exposure over the years, but some people experience them sooner. Sun spots are not cancerous, but sometimes they can look like skin cancer. If you develop a suspicious skin discoloration, confirm with your doctor that it is a sun spot and not a cancerous spot that needs to be treated.
Can sun spots be avoided?
The only way to avoid sun spots is to avoid sun exposure. If you don’t have any sun spots, now is the time to be vigilant about wearing sun screen, staying in the shade, and reducing the amount of time you are outside in the sun without protection. If you already have sun spots, you may be able to reduce the amount of them that you develop by curbing your sun exposure. Because sun spots occur as the result of long-term sun exposure, avoiding sun spots involves a long-term commitment to sun protection.
What treatments are available?
There are several ways to treat sun spots, but the most effective way is with the Broad Band Light (BBL). This light based therapy works by applying intense light at a specific wavelength to the spots. The spots are lifted with little downtime and no recovery. The best way to determine if Broad Band Light is right for your skin type and sun spots is to make an appointment with a certified medical laser technician in a dermatology or plastic surgery practice for a consultation.
At Maloney Plastic Surgery, our skin care and certified laser specialists deliver safe and effective treatments under the supervision of a board certified physician. Call our skin care/ med spa in Tucson today to schedule an appointment by calling (520) 298-2330.
