Most likely, they will appear soon after summer memories and sun remain. Then will the discolored skin patches appear, just when the tan fades. These, most often brown spots appear on the skin of the face and body for many reasons. Proper care and prevention will be the first step to avoid or get rid of uninvited guests. Dark spots and patches can spoil the joy of even best holidays. Fortunately, there are effective ways to counteract and fight – both home and dermocosmetics.

Discolored skin patches – what are they?

Most often they are spots of different size, darker in color than the skin. By discoloration on the skin, we mean local, excessive accumulation of brown skin pigment. It is an increased amount of melanin, which gives the effect of brown patches of various sizes. They usually form on the face, but you can also notice them on the neckline, forearms or hands. They appear almost exclusively in women. Sometimes they become visible after the age of 25. Hormones are the most predisposed to their formation.  Sometimes they are the result of some changes and are associated only with the progressive age. Such a situation takes place when the production of melanin by pigment cells (melanocytes) is suddenly and significantly increased. As above, this happens most often as a result of hormonal changes. Not without significance, however, are excessive sun exposure or other health problems.

Discolored skin patches – effective prophylaxis

How to keep a smooth complexion with a plain color and texture? As with many other skin problems, prevention is the best approach. And through it is meant proper care, high sun protection and no excessive exposure to the sun. Therefore, everybody should devote a lot of attention to the selection of appropriate skincare products. They will protect our skin from sunlight’s harmful effects. People with light complexion should look for sunscreen with SPF 50 filter, and people with darker skin may opt for a slightly smaller SPF 30 filter. Products should be applied to the skin about 30 minutes before going out into the sun and repeated as much as possible. The more if you take a swim. In addition, try to expose yourself to sunlight in the afternoon, when the intensity of radiation is slightly weaker.

Existing Discolored skin patches – how to fight them

It depends mainly on how deep the discoloration is. There are several proven methods to remove them. We can try to light them with the help of specialized preparations. We can find them in the pharmacy or decide to remove them in the dermatological office. At the dermatologist’s we may check the depth of discoloration using the so-called Wood lamps. After its lighting in shallow discolorations, their foci blend in color with the surrounding skin. However, in the deeper ones – they are still more visible than the surrounding skin.

Methods of effective fight against discolored skin patches

The cheapest way to fight blemishes will be bleaching cream. It is also the easiest way, but it works only for discolorations located quite shallow in the epidermis. In addition, the effectiveness of the product will always depend to a large extent on its detailed composition. The ingredients included in the whitening creams may have different concentrations and therefore different efficacy. They also require systematic application. However, they are an indispensable element supporting and strengthening the effects of any professional bleaching methods.

Exfoliation, the aim of which is to remove the layer of epidermal cells together with the deposits of dye accumulated in them. It can be mechanical – then it is based on the clash of epidermal cells (here the microdermabrasion procedure will work) or chemical. Chemo-mechanical exfoliation combining both mechanisms is becoming more and more popular.

The popular method is also chemical peels, and the most commonly used substance – glycolic acid. The depth at which the acid will work depends on its concentration, low pH, contact time with the skin and frequency of application. Importantly, its use will brighten the skin, but it will not block the mechanism of creating more stains. Peels cleanse and effectively whiten, but they do not guarantee that after exposure to the sun discoloration will not come back.

Discolored skin patches can also be lightened with laser light or using IPL light. During the treatment, melanin absorbs light energy, which is then converted into heat. The temperature of the dye cells rises and destroys them without damaging the surrounding healthy skin.

Discolored skin is an extremely common effect that many people have to deal with. The good news is that we can effectively prevent and fight them. It all depends on whether we will cultivate our skin in a proper way.