Brown Spots, Sun Spots, & Melasma

About These Skin Conditions

Brown spots can be due to freckles, sun spots, or melasma. Freckles are small, tan to light brown, flat spots that tend to appear in people with fair skin. They first appear during childhood and tend to become darker with sun exposure.

Sun spots (liver spots or lentigines) are benign, flat, round to oval, brown spots with well-defined borders due to chronic sun damage. They typically appear on the face, back of the hands, forearms, chest, and upper back of adults. These lesions create a splotchy appearance to your skin. Treatment helps to eliminate the unevenness resulting in a smoother complexion. Sun spots can be very successfully treated with lasers which target the pigment within them. There is a slight momentary stinging sensation that feels like a rubber band snap.

Melasma is an acquired dark skin discoloration that most commonly occurs in patients with darker skin such as Hispanics and Asians. It occurs on the cheeks, upper lip, and around the eyes.

Before Laser Treatment
After Laser Treatment

brown spots before

before spots after

Individual results may vary.