One day you look in the mirror and discover that you are getting spots on your face. You care about your appearance, but your health even more. Do not be alarmed. They are generally harmless and no more than a mere cosmetic problem, but it is always advisable to make an appointment with the dermatologist to find out what the situation is and act accordingly.
Why do spots appear on the face
If you are one of those who apply protection when sunbathing and you usually take care of your skin, but you have stained, you will ask yourself: why has it happened? Well, the skin darkens (hyperpigmentation) because it increases melanin, which is a defense mechanism of our body to protect us from free radicals produced by solar radiation. You may be very disciplined and careful, but there are many reasons that can trigger increased melanin production. As much as you pamper your skin, you are not safe from blemishes!
"It is more common among women and the causes can be very diverse: genetic predisposition, unprotected sun exposure, hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, etc.), some medications or the natural aging process ", explains Dr. Ángel Martín, specialist in facial rejuvenation and medical director of Clínica Menorca.
How to remove blemishes on the face
As this expert comments, we are facing a problem that "is not always easy to solve". However, there are numerous methods to eliminate them, although they are only effective if the medical professional makes a good diagnosis and the patient stays out of the sun.
The depigmenting treatment is different depending on the type of stain, its depth and the type of skin , since it will vary depending on whether the stains are superficial (such as lentigos) or deep (such as melasma).
Types of spots on the face
- Lentigos. They are the most frequent sun spots. They have the appearance of large freckles and are increasing in number, size and color. They also appear because of the aging of the skin on the forehead, décolleté, forearms, back of the hands, shoulders and back and are a manifestation of chronic sun damage (accumulates throughout life). They are in the most superficial layers of the skin and are very well removed with lasers.
- Melasma They are frequent spots in people with phototypes III and IV. They are of hormonal origin, which is why they more frequently affect pregnant women, those who take contraceptives or those in the menopausal stage, as hormonal changes make their skin more sensitive to the action of the sun. Its appearance is like that of coffee stains and appear in prominent areas such as the forehead, cheekbones or upper lip . They are reactive stains to UV rays. It is found in the deepest layers, so it is not removed well with the laser, but with depigmenting peels.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. They are very frequent spots in summer that appear as a result of exposing inflamed areas to the sun or with some injury to the skin, for example, after hair removal, laser treatment, wounds, burns, etc. They are pink, red, brown or black spots, depending on the color of the skin . They usually disappear on their own or with depigmenting products such as hydroquinone, retinoids or glycolic acid peels.
- Couperose or red spots. They are common spots in women with fair and delicate skin (phototypes I and II). These are tiny blood vessels that, in the event of sudden changes in temperature, dilate until resulting in small pimples or imperfections. Usually they appear on the nose, cheekbones and cheeks.
Prevent blemishes on the face
To have an even complexion, it is best to take good care of the skin and avoid the appearance of blemishes. Do not trust. You may have spectacular skin now, but skin has memory. This means that what you do wrong today can take its toll on your complexion tomorrow. It's better to prevent than to cure!
- Use sunscreen. Apply creams with filters that protect you against UVA, UVB and IR radiation. This way you will prevent cellular photoaging. Avoid exposure to the sun, especially in the hours with the highest UV radiation index, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Wear appropriate clothing. If you are going to expose yourself to the sun, it is also important to choose your clothes well. Just as you use sunglasses to protect your eyes, it is advisable to go for natural fabrics, in light colors, and protect your face with hats or caps.
- Avoid consuming exciting substances. Other guidelines that will help us combat the appearance of spots, such as couperose, is to avoid the consumption of alcohol and tobacco and exciting substances, as well as maintaining a diet rich in vegetables and fruits.
- Cleanses, hydrates and nourishes the skin. Facial cleansing should be done twice a day, in the morning and at night, and the skin should be patted dry without actually rubbing.
- Apply gentle cosmetics. It is advisable to use products that provide hydrating and soothing elements, such as cleansing milks and gels, facial toners and, if possible, thermal water.
- Wear masks. It is advisable to use soothing and moisturizing masks, at least twice a week. And exfoliations, better with microgranules or enzymatic so that they do not damage the skin.
- Go to the dermatologist. Whenever a new spot appears or an existing one changes in shape, color or size, we must go to a dermatologist's office to prevent melanoma or skin cancer
Treatments for blemishes on the face
- Peeling with cosmetics
It is a deep peeling that is indicated not only for blemishes on the skin, but also to eliminate small wrinkles or acne , enhancing skin renewal. It is a combined treatment that is performed first in the consultation and then continued at home.
In consultation, the doctor applies the depigmenting cream with 10% benzenediol to the cleansed face as a mask, and the patient is left to rest for about 20 minutes. There is usually no reaction of rejection, in any case it can sting or sting the first minutes. The cream is left to act for between five and seven hours depending on the type of skin and then the face is washed at home with plenty of water. Afterwards, aloe vera is applied as many times as desired. From this moment on, a specific cream with total sunscreen should be used during the day and another moisturizing and regenerating cream at night. On the second or third day the skin peeling begins and the process lasts a week. After 7-10 days, the patient should apply a 4% benzenediol cream once a day at night until the stains disappear completely, which is usually about a month.
Approximate price: € 400
- Treatment with PHENOL
It is a powerful phenol-based chemical peel. It is indicated for severe photoaging (age spots and sun spots), that is, melasma and lentigo, and it is also effective for deep wrinkles . The procedure consists of cleaning the face with a degreaser and applying phenol, removing in a controlled way the layers of the dermis at a medium and deep level until the disappearance of wrinkles or spots. The skin flakes during the days after the treatment.Recovery time is 10 days. Its results are spectacular since, in addition to eliminating stains, it rebuilds collagen and produces skin retraction, which is why it helps to improve sagging problems and erases superficial wrinkles, softening the deeper ones. This treatment can also be performed on all skin types and is painless.
Approximate price: € 150
- Treatment with Picosure
The Picosure laser very well removes senile and sun spots from the face, neck, décolleté and hands without pain, in a single session and does not require recovery time. Its method of eliminating pigmentary lesions responds to a photothermic impact on the pigments, breaking them down into small particles so that the body can eliminate them naturally. After the treatment, hydrate the area with rosehip oil and use SPF 50+ sun protection every day.
Approximate price: from € 200 to € 600 session
- V-Beam Laser Treatment
It is a painless treatment and does not require anesthesia. It works by selectively "burning" the small vessels that form said lesions, without damaging the adjacent tissues. The body itself is responsible for "sweeping" the remains of these "burns" and whitening the treated area.
The number of sessions required depends on the severity of the injury. A total of 4 or 6 sessions separated by periods of 20 days is estimated.
Approximate price: from € 200 to € 500 session
