Brown Spots

Despite your best efforts to use SPF and stay in the shade, do you find yourself wondering how you have dark spots on your skin? Any time spent under the sun’s UV rays can affect your skin and result in sun spots, brown spots, freckles, etc.

What causes brown spots?

Dark spots are the result of the overproduction or collection of melanin, a skin pigment that makes skin darker. They can also result from free radical damage and exposure to UV Light, such as the sun and tanning beds. Brown spots, or melasma, is hormonally driven and is known to worsen during pregnancy or other times when estrogen levels are elevated.

I’ve taken great care of my skin—why do I have sun spots now?

Hyperpigmentation often appears during middle age. That’s when the skin starts to show the consequences of sun exposure. This is especially true if you didn’t use sunscreen and other sun-protective measures consistently earlier in life. People with light hair or skin and who have had many sunburns, or severe ones, are at particular risk. However, there are other things that may lead to dark spots. These other causes may act alone or in combination with UV exposure.