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Whether youve got acne or sun damage, some skin concerns dont go away quietlymany leave dark spots behind.
Delmaine Donson
Theyre hard to hide and slow to fade.
And some, as in the case of melasma, can be a long-term issue.
Heres everything you better know about how to get rid of dark spots for all skin types.
What are dark spots?
They can come in a variety of forms, including age spots, sun spots, and melasma.
What causes dark spots on your face?
Not all dark spots are created equal.
Small freckles or slightly larger spots are the result of sun exposure.
If you have acne-prone skin, you may already be familiar withpost-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, a.k.a.
There are three classes of ingredients that help fade dark spots.
First up: tranexamic acid, which targets that inflammation.
Its not enough to pick just one from that list.
Focusing on one of the classes of ingredients mentioned above is the most common mistake, says Dr. Lain.
you should probably have an all-encompassing approach to take down dark spots quickly.
And by quickly, were talking a few weeksthough theres no set amount of time.
Improvement speed depends on the cause of pigmentation, says Dr. Barba.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from acne, for example, takes about four to six weeks to fadeafteracne is controlled.
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The exception here is melasma.
Its a constant tug of war.
(And as Dr. Barba points out, avoiding the sun altogether costs $0.)
Microdermabrasioncan also reduce the appearance of dark spots and is available as both at-home and in-office treatment.
If you want to tryat-home microdermabrasion, there are plenty of tools available.
They can also treat ongoing breakouts.
Shaheen likes to combine AHAs and BHAs for acne-prone skin.
Ultimately, your pores are clean and everything feels tighter, says Shaheen.
One important tip she gives: Consistency will check that you seeandmaintain results.
These peels work by literally sloughing off the pigmented cells.
Hydradermabrasion, also known as aHydraFacial, stimulates collagen production while increasing blood flow to the skin.
The technique combines the deep exfoliation of microdermabrasion with hydration by infusing serums with ingredients likehyaluronic acidinto the skin.
Melasma, ever the exception, doesnt respond well to laser treatments.
It always comes back, says Dr. Barba.
Sure, youll remove the dark spots it createsbut those overactive melanocytes will keep chugging, making more pigment.
That means that in-office treatments, which are more expensive, may not be financially sustainable.
Your best bet is sticking with those topical ingredients.
Those with skin of color need to be very careful of inflammation when treating pigmentation, says Dr. Barba.
Thats because inflammation or any burning of your skin can alsocausepigmentation.
Lasers work by targeting pigment, so with darker skin, theres naturally more melanin and pigment.
This can lead to complications.
Seek out a board-certified dermatologist who has experience treating skin of color.
For hyperpigmentation, elasticity, and more
