- How to get dark spots on the skin
- 1. Stains caused by the sun
- 2. Pregnancy spots
- 3. Seborrheic keratosis
- 4. Stains after acne or chicken pox
- 5. Diabetes stains
- 6. Stains on the hands caused by lemon
- 7. How to lighten freckles
- How to recognize skin cancer
The dark spots that appear on the face, hands, arms or other parts of the body can be caused by factors such as sun exposure, hormonal changes, acne or skin wounds. However, in more severe cases, skin blemishes can be indicative of skin cancer, so it is important to be aware of their characteristics.
Whenever a spot increases in size, has different colors or is growing, you should go to a dermatologist so that he can examine it with a special light. It is also recommended to go to the doctor if the stain does not have a definite cause and is bothersome.
You can watch this video to learn how to identify and treat the types of skin blemishes that we indicate in the following text:
How to get dark spots on the skin
To treat dark spots on the skin, you need to consult a dermatologist to identify the specific type of spot and start the appropriate treatment. However, at home it is possible to try to identify the stains through some characteristics such as color, shape or place where it appears, for example. Here are the 7 most common types of stains:
1. Stains caused by the sun
It is the most common type of dark spot on the face, arms or legs and appears due to sun exposure over the years, and is therefore common after 45 years of age. Usually, this type of spots can become darker over the years, if the skin is not protected daily with sunscreen.
How to treat: Exfoliation of the skin done twice a week can help remove the lightest and superficial spots, however, the use of laser or intense pulsed light are good options to even out skin tone. In addition, it is very important to use sunscreen daily to avoid darkening existing stains and to prevent new stains from appearing.
2. Pregnancy spots
Melasma is a type of dark spot on the skin of the face that develops after prolonged periods of sun exposure and, therefore, it can also appear after a sunburn, for example. Melasma is also very common during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, however, in these cases it is known as chloasma gravidarum.
How to treat: You should apply daily sunscreen to the skin with a minimum protection factor of 30, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun during the hottest hours. Using moisturizing cream enriched with vitamin C is the maximum you can do during pregnancy. If the stains do not lighten on their own after the baby is born, treatments such as laser or diamond peeling or with acids, for example, can be used. See what care should be taken when treating melasma.
3. Seborrheic keratosis
Seborrheic keratosis is a type of high, dark sign that appears on the skin due to the natural aging process and which is normally benign, presenting no danger to health.
How to treat: they must always be evaluated by a dermatologist to detect skin cancer, as they can be confused. Generally, treatment is not necessary, but the doctor may use minor surgery to remove the signal.
4. Stains after acne or chicken pox
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is a type of dark spot that appears after skin lesions and, therefore, they are very common in areas of the body that have suffered burns, acne, chicken pox or that have been subjected to aggressive skin treatments.
How to treat: The lightest spots can be mitigated with a superficial peel, however, the darkest spots can only be lightened with depigmenting creams, such as rosehip oil. Another option is to peel with acids because it will remove the superficial and intermediate layer of the skin, making a new one appear, free of blemishes. See how to do this type of treatment in Chemical Peeling.
5. Diabetes stains
Black or mixed-race people who have diabetes usually develop a type of dark spot on the skin that appears mainly around the neck and in the skin folds. These spots are caused by the use of oral antidiabetics or some hormonal changes such as hypothyroidism or polycystic ovaries, for example.
How to treat: To lighten the skin, you can exfoliate it with liquid soap and sugar once a week, but losing weight and exercising are very important for the success of the treatment, because that way you can cure type 2 diabetes and not need more antidiabetic remedies that are the main risk factor for these spots. See what else you can do to eliminate this type of stain.
6. Stains on the hands caused by lemon
The dark spots that can appear on the hands or arms, due to contact with lemon followed by sun exposure, as can happen when making a caipirinha and going out in the sun, for example, can be treated with creams that lighten the skin.
The dark spots on the skin that are caused by the lemon are called phytophotomelanosis, and can take 2 or 3 days to appear. To eliminate the ideal is to wash the stained skin very well and always put sunscreen on top of the stain so that it does not get even darker. The tendency is for the lemon stain to clear up over time, but it can take up to 4 months to disappear.
What to do: You should apply a whitening cream or lotion such as those containing vitamin C, for example. These can be purchased at pharmacies or beauty supply stores.
Learn why this type of stain may appear.
7. How to lighten freckles
Freckles are common in fair-skinned people and usually appear on the face, neck and arms, and tend to get darker in the summer when exposure to the sun is greater. To whiten freckles, you can also use whitening creams or lotions containing hydroquinone, for example, but as they are a genetic trait they usually do not disappear completely. Some homemade options are:
- Use homemade cream mixing 1 can of nivea cream, 1 tube of hypoglycans, 1 ampoule of vitamin A and 1 glass of sweet almond oil, daily eUse the following homemade mask prepared with 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon of milk of magnesia and 1 cap of liquid bepantol. Apply the mixture to the skin for 30 minutes and wash with water afterwards. This mixture should be applied every other day for about 3 to 4 weeks.
In addition, it is also advisable to always use sunscreen, with SPF 15, daily on the face, arms and hands, to protect the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, avoiding the darkening of freckles that already exist.
How to recognize skin cancer
Usually, skin cancer appears as a small dark spot that grows over time, presenting various colors and an irregular shape. To know if a spot on the skin may be skin cancer, one should observe if:
- The spot is well separated from any other and is isolated; If the spot is more than 6 mm and has uneven edges; If there is more than 1 color in the same spot, with a bluish tone, for example.
How to treat: it is advisable to consult a dermatologist as soon as possible to start the appropriate treatment and have a better chance of cure.
All care helps to lighten dark spots on the skin at home. However, they should always be done under the guidance of a dermatologist. In addition, when the spots do not subside after 1 month of treatment, it is advisable to go back to the doctor to make a new evaluation and start the appropriate treatment.
Thus, it is important to be aware of any type of dark spot that appears on the skin and that has not been present since birth, because if it increases over time, changes its shape or changes any characteristic, it must be evaluated by a dermatologist to identify the problem and initiate appropriate treatment.
