Skin Spots and Treatment Methods

For some reasons, melanin production in our body may exceed normal levels, causing irregular and excessive skin coloration (hyperpigmentation). Just as the causes and factors of skin spots may vary from person to person, the types of spots may also differ.

Although these skin spots, which are darker and more visible than the normal skin color, do not threaten our lives, they cause some aesthetic and cosmetic problems, and can even seriously reduce the quality of life of many people and cause some psychological disorders. Therefore, it is necessary and important to treat skin blemishes.

Types of Skin Blemishes

We emphasized that there are many reasons for the spots that appear on our body, especially on our face. Some of these spots arise from birth, some from adolescence, some from aging, and some from damage to our skin as a result of the sun and external factors.

Sunspots: Especially when exposed to the sun for a long time without using sunscreen, the skin becomes thicker in order to protect itself and melanin pigment production increases, therefore, the formation of spots on the skin increases.

Pregnancy Spots (Melasma): Although pregnancy spots are perceived as a type of spot seen only in women due to its name, it is a type of spotting that can also be seen in men. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, stress, psychological factors or the hormonal effect of birth control pills may cause excessive production of melanin pigment. With the increase in melanin, sharply defined spots may appear in areas such as cheeks, forehead and chin, which are the areas most exposed to the sun. Pregnancy spots may reappear in subsequent pregnancies due to genetic predisposition.

Freckles: These spots, which are seen on the cheeks, nose, forehead and chin areas that are most exposed to the sun, can be light or darker brown spots. Freckles, which generally increase in the sunny spring and summer months, decrease in the months when the sun is less hot.

Fungal Diseases: Some fungal infections and fungal diseases can cause milky brown spots on the skin. This type of spotting, which is congenital or develops in early childhood, can sometimes be a symptom of other diseases (e.g. neurofibromatosis).

Allergic Reactions: Some medications taken orally or some cream-like medications applied topically can cause hyperpigmentation. This type of spotting, which sometimes progresses to the level of mild redness and allergic reaction, can sometimes cause the formation of regional spots.

Applications Used in the Treatment of Skin Blemishes

1. Elimination of sun contact

If the spots on the body appear due to the sun, the most effective way to treat the spots is undoubtedly to use sunscreens and cut off contact with the sun. However, the sunscreen we use must provide high protection against both UVA and UVB (products with a protection factor of at least 45 should be preferred). Another thing to consider is that sunscreen should be used not only on sunny days, but also in all seasons and at all times of the day.

2. Lightening creams: Cream treatments do not eliminate all types of blemishes, but they are helpful to treatments such as laser. There are many lightening creams used to treat blemishes. Rather than damaging melanocytes, these drugs work by reducing pigment production in melanocytes.

3. Chemical Peels: Another method used in spot treatment is chemical peeling. Chemical peeling is a procedure generally performed for skin renewal, spot treatments, acne scars and removal of fine wrinkles in the face and neck area. The most commonly used substances in the chemical peeling process are; Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), Beta-hydroxy acids (BHA), Jessner solution, and Low concentration trichlor acetic acid (TCA). While some of these products have an increasing effect on skin peeling; Some also accelerate cell renewal by stimulating collagen production. The upper layer of the skin that has lost its freshness and shine and is stained is peeled off, revealing a healthier and more vibrant layer.

Laser Treatment: Lasers used in spot treatment are effective by peeling or destroying color cells (melanocytes).

Laser treatments can be used to treat many spots. However, laser spot treatment is a procedure that requires extreme care and professionalism. In laser spot treatments performed by non-experts, sometimes an increase in the spots or spots that return in a short time is observed. Especially in fractional lasers, methods that overheat and peel the skin may have the opposite effect and increase the blemish. Spot treatments should be done with as light doses as possible.

Mesotherapy: In the treatment of blemishes, injecting small amounts of antioxidant substances such as vitamin C, glutathione, transexamic acid, pyruvic acid under the skin to the stained area can lighten the color of the blemish. Using mesotherapy in combination with other methods can increase the effectiveness of spot treatment.

PRP and Dermaroller: Any method that repairs the skin in spot treatment can lighten the spots. Because the stained areas are actually areas with sun-damaged cells. PRP and dermaroller are two effective methods that repair the skin. These methods increase the effectiveness of spot treatments by being applied alone or in combination with spot lightening creams, laser and chemical peeling methods.

Although it is possible to get rid of our blemishes in a short time with the rapidly developing methods of the medical aesthetics industry, it is still extremely important and necessary to maintain a skin free from blemishes. In case of direct exposure to the sun, the possibility of treated spots returning increases. As a result, it is important to protect your skin meticulously against the sun in order to prevent the spots from coming back and the formation of new spots on your skin in general. For this reason, after spot treatments, it is extremely important for the treating physicians or clinics to inform people about protecting their skin against the harmful effects of sunlight and to use appropriate products to avoid facing the problem of spots again, in terms of the effectiveness of the treatment.