WHY DO I HAVE BROWN SPOTS ON MY FACE AND WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?
As a medical aesthetics clinic who offers skin help, this is one of the most common questions we get asked. The answer is there are several reasons for pigment change on your skin. Our skin is a message board for what is going on inside. Let us explain.
Hormonal changes. Our hormones rule all, especially our skin. Imagine our hormones are little floating molecules in our blood going around having conversations with different tissues. Those conversations end up influencing those tissues to act a certain way. Certain hormones make our skin looking great while changes in those hormones can have a drastic effect on it. Estrogen is highly involved in beautiful skin. So, if you have noticed changes in your skin and also suspect hormone changes…bingo! There are also conditions that force major hormone fluctuations like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or menopause or pregnancy. Those hormonal events can force quick and drastic changes to the skin. Do you feel like one day you look fine and the next, everything has changed?
A significant amount of cases of hormonally derived pigment changes we see, comes in the form of melasma. This is pigment that is over produced but does not come to the surface, and spills downward, making it hard to target for a skin expert. More to come on this, keep reading!
Sun damage. The cells that absorb the sun (aka skin cells) are effected by the UV wavelengths from the sun. Those wavelengths can disrupt the genetic material of the skin, including the DNA that codes for melanin, the brown pigment we see in all skin types. These skin cells are called melanocytes. Sometimes, when too much of our DNA gets altered in the melanocyte, the cell does not operate the same and one of the results is producing far too much melanin. This shows up as a visible spot on our face, neck or arms or anywhere.
Genetics. Some pigment is produced from genetic translation through generations. We often see this in pigmentation around the eyes and mouth or sensitive areas of the body like the armpits or groin where the skin looks generally darker. This is often seen in particular ethnicities.
Since these are all visible in the skin, and the issue is how the skin is behaving, we of course treat the skin. We have invested in a selection of laser therapies that target these different types of pigment concerns. Finding the root cause is really important, as it dictates which laser we recommend. These energy devices were definitely not created equal. Treating a type of pigment with the wrong therapy can actually be harmful.
We offer Intense Pulsed Light (like Lumecca), Picosure Pro (pico technology) and many other helpful treatments that can compliment or make the result better like chemical peels, Hydrafacials or SkinPen microneedling.
Your consultation will determine which is right for you. Sometimes there may be only that we can recommend, such as for melasma, the only approved device for that is the PicoSure. The treatment plan created from your consultation will outline exactly what you need and how you need to do it. Please note skincare is always a part of the plan when it comes to unwanted pigment reduction. We know that with the right molecules, we can talk to skin cells like hormones do, except we are very targeted with what those messages are. Skincare such as tyrosinase inhibitors, hydroquinone, vitamin C and most importantly, sunscreen, are all on that list.
Another pigment that may be unwanted in the skin is not genetic or hormonal. It just might be time for it to go though! We are talking about tattoo removal. We also specialize in the most modern, safe and effective treatments for that. More on tattoo removal coming up in our next blog!