Brown Spots & Sun Damage Treatment
Treating Brown Spots and Sun Damage
Brown spots caused by sun exposure, often called solar lentigines or age spots, can usually be improved with pigment-targeting lasers, fractional treatment, resurfacing, or other dermatologist-directed options. The first step is confirming that a spot is benign before treating it cosmetically.
The flat brown patches that come from years of sunlight, often called age spots, can usually be improved with a laser aimed at pigment, with resurfacing, or with other treatments. But the first step is always the same: making sure the spot is harmless before anyone treats it for appearance.
Brown Spots & Sun Damage: the essentials
The short version
Cumulative ultraviolet exposure and skin aging
Years of sunlight, plus the skin getting older
Face, hands, chest, shoulders, and arms
Pigment-specific laser, fractional laser, resurfacing, and selected topical or procedural alternatives
A laser aimed at pigment, resurfacing, and some creams or other procedures
Depends on lesion type, depth, skin tone, and device; some treatments use a short series
Depends on the type of spot, how deep it is, your skin tone and the machine. Some plans use a short course
A treated spot may clear, but new sun spots can form
The one treated may stay clear, but new sun spots can still form
Dr. Gallacher performs every laser treatment personally.
Dr. Gallacher does every laser treatment herself.
Two to three sessions for Pico Laser or Fraxel FTX pigmentation. Usually a single session for deeper CO2 resurfacing.
Two to three for Pico Laser or Fraxel FTX. Usually one for deeper CO2 resurfacing.
Daily broad-spectrum sun protection
Broad spectrum sun protection, every day
What are brown spots and sun spots?
What are brown spots?
Most of us carry some pigmented lesions, in one form or another. They form when pigment producing cells in the skin proliferate and deposit extra melanin, either in the upper layer of the skin, the epidermis, or in the deeper layer beneath it, the dermis, or in both. Where that pigment sits is not a technical detail. It is the single fact that governs which laser can reach it, at what depth, and how many treatments the spot will need.
Most cosmetic “age spots” are solar lentigines, flat, benign areas of extra pigmentation related to sun exposure.
Nearly everyone has some brown marks somewhere. They happen when the cells that make skin pigment multiply and lay down extra colour, either in the top layer of skin, in the deeper layer, or in both. How deep that colour sits is the thing that decides which laser can reach it and how many sessions it takes. It is not a detail.
Most of what people call age spots are flat patches where the skin has made extra pigment after years of sun. They are harmless.
Brown is not one diagnosis. Pigmented lesions include solar lentigines, the flat sun spots most people mean by age spots; freckles; moles, or nevi; birthmarks; seborrheic keratoses, the raised waxy brown growths that arrive with age; dermatosis papulosa nigra, the small dark papules seen most often on the face and neck in people of African, Afro-Caribbean or Asian descent; post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation left behind by acne or injury; melasma; and, importantly, some precancerous and cancerous lesions. Different lesions require different lasers, and different numbers of treatments. Several of them should not be treated with a laser at all until the diagnosis is settled. Dermatosis papulosa nigra in particular is benign and familial, but it occurs in skin types that carry a higher risk of pigment change after treatment, so device choice, conservative settings and a test area matter more, not less.
Brown is not one thing. It covers flat sun spots, freckles, moles, birthmarks, the raised waxy growths that come with age, the small dark bumps on the face and neck that are common in people with African, Afro-Caribbean or Asian skin and run in families, the marks left by old acne or injury, melasma, and, importantly, some spots that are precancerous or cancerous. Different marks need different lasers and different numbers of sessions. Some of them should not be lasered at all until we know what they are. Those small dark bumps are harmless, but they occur in skin that changes colour more easily after treatment, so the settings are kept conservative and we usually test a small area first.
When should a brown spot be checked before cosmetic treatment?
When should a brown spot be checked first?
Any lesion that is new, changing, irregular, symptomatic, or diagnostically uncertain should be evaluated before cosmetic removal.
Anything new, anything changing, anything with an irregular edge, anything that itches or bleeds, and anything nobody is certain about, gets examined before it is removed for appearance.
- Tell us about any personal or family history of melanoma. Where that history exists, laser treatment of a mole is approached with great caution, if it is undertaken at all. A laser destroys the tissue it treats, which means it also destroys the tissue a pathologist would otherwise have examined. Where a pigmented mole genuinely needs to come off, the correct answer is usually removal by a method that preserves the specimen for the laboratory, not a cosmetic laser.
- Do not assume every pigmented lesion is safe to laser without examination.
- Biopsy or medical treatment may be more appropriate if the diagnosis is uncertain.
- Tell us if you, or anyone in your family, has had a melanoma. If that is your history, we are very cautious about lasering a mole, and often we will not do it. A laser destroys what it treats, so it also destroys the tissue the laboratory would need to look at. If a mole really does need to come off, it is usually better to remove it in a way that keeps a sample to send away.
- Do not assume every brown spot is safe to laser without someone looking at it.
- If it is not clear what it is, taking a small sample, or treating it medically, may be the right answer instead.
Illustration of a benign solar lentigo or age spot
A drawing of a harmless brown sun spot.
How do lasers remove brown spots?
How does a laser remove them?
A laser generates a beam of intense, concentrated light. That light is absorbed by one specific pigment and converted into heat energy. For brown lesions we choose a wavelength that black and brown pigment in the skin absorbs far more strongly than the tissue around it. The result is heat destruction of the unwanted pigmented cells while healthy cells are left intact. The body then clears the broken down pigment over the following days and weeks, which is why a treated spot commonly darkens first and lightens afterwards.
A laser makes a beam of very concentrated light. The brown pigment soaks that light up and turns it into heat. We pick a colour of light that the brown pigment absorbs far more than the skin around it, so the heat destroys the unwanted pigment cells and leaves the healthy skin intact. Your body then clears the broken up pigment over the following days and weeks. That is why a treated spot usually goes darker first, then fades.
Different lasers target pigment at different depths, and fractional or ablative resurfacing may be chosen when brown spots are part of broader sun damage, rough texture, or wrinkles.
Different lasers reach pigment at different depths. If the brown spots come with rough texture and wrinkles from the same sun damage, a resurfacing treatment may be a better choice than a pigment laser alone.
Which treatments may be used for brown spots?
What treatments are used?
Different lesions require different lasers. Dr. Gallacher selects the technology for the indication rather than running every pigment problem through one machine, and the practice keeps devices for pigment, for fractional resurfacing and for deeper ablative resurfacing precisely because a single platform cannot do all three well.
Different marks need different lasers. Dr. Gallacher picks the machine to suit the problem instead of putting every brown spot through the same device. The practice keeps separate machines for pigment, for fractional resurfacing and for deeper resurfacing because no one machine does all three well.
| Option | Best suited to | Downtime and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pico Laser, picosecond pigment laser | Discrete pigmented lesions and uneven pigmentation | Limited downtime. Spots typically darken before clearing. Two to three treatments is usual for pigmentation |
| Fraxel FTX, fractional resurfacing | Diffuse sun damage with uneven pigmentation, texture and photodamage together | Performed as a series, with temporary redness and swelling. Two to three treatments is usual for pigmentation |
| Erbium resurfacing | Focal photodamage where surface texture also needs improvement | More recovery than a pigment only treatment. Depth and settings matter |
| CO2 resurfacing | More extensive photodamage where pigment, texture and wrinkles all need improvement | The deepest option here. In Dr. Gallacher's practice, deeper CO2 resurfacing usually achieves the result in a single session, with about seven days of downtime |
| Non-laser alternatives | Selected solar lentigines and pigmentation, depending on diagnosis | Cryotherapy, chemical peels or topical agents where appropriate |
| Option | What it suits, and what to expect |
|---|---|
| Pico Laser, a pigment laser | For individual brown spots and patchy colour. Usually little time off. Spots often go darker before they clear. Two to three sessions is normal for pigmentation. |
| Fraxel FTX, fractional resurfacing | For widespread sun damage where the colour, the texture and the fine lines all need work. A course of treatments, with redness and swelling for a few days each time. Two to three sessions is normal for pigmentation. |
| Erbium resurfacing | For sun damage in one area where the surface texture needs work too. More recovery than a pigment treatment on its own. |
| CO2 resurfacing | The deepest option on this list, for heavier sun damage where colour, texture and wrinkles all need work. In Dr. Gallacher's practice this usually gets the result in one session, with around seven days of downtime. |
| Without a laser | Depending on what the spot is, freezing, a chemical peel or a cream may be the right answer. |
The treatments we use for this: Fraxel FTX, Erbium Laser, Pico Laser and CO2 Laser. Tap any of them to read more.
Treatment options at Dermatology and Laser Centre: Fraxel FTX, Erbium Laser, Pico Laser and CO2 Laser.
Who performs the treatment
Who does the treatment
Dr. Gallacher performs every laser treatment herself. The examination that establishes what the spot is, the choice of device and settings, and the treatment itself are all carried out by the same board certified, fellowship trained dermatologist. Nothing is delegated. With pigment this matters more than it does elsewhere, because the diagnosis and the laser are one continuous decision: the physician who has decided the lesion is benign is the physician holding the handpiece, and she can change the plan mid-treatment if what she sees in the skin does not match what she expected.
Dr. Gallacher does every laser treatment herself. The same doctor examines the spot, decides which machine and which settings to use, and then does the treatment. None of it is handed to someone else. With brown spots that matters, because working out what the mark is and treating it are really one decision. The doctor who decided the spot is harmless is the one holding the laser, and she can change course during the treatment if the skin does not behave as expected.
Who may be a good candidate?
Who does this suit?
Good candidates have a clearly diagnosed benign pigment concern and can follow strict sun-protection instructions.
People whose brown patches have been confirmed as harmless, and who will genuinely keep the area out of the sun afterwards.
- No active tan or sunburn in the treatment area.
- The treatment is appropriate for your skin tone and pigment depth.
- You understand that new sun spots can form even after successful treatment.
- No tan and no sunburn on the area being treated.
- The treatment has to suit your skin tone and how deep the pigment sits.
- You understand new sun spots can still appear afterwards.
What are the benefits, risks, and alternatives?
What are the benefits, risks and alternatives?
| Topic | Key points |
|---|---|
| Benefits | Clearer tone, less visible solar lentigines, and improvement in broader photodamage when resurfacing is used. |
| Common temporary effects | Redness, swelling, temporary darkening, crusting, or peeling depending on the method. |
| Risks | Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, burns, scarring, infection, or incomplete clearance; risk varies with skin tone and device/settings. |
| Alternatives | Sun protection, camouflage, topical lightening agents, chemical peels, cryotherapy, or observation depending on diagnosis. |
What you can gain Clearer, more even colour, brown spots that are much less obvious, and, with resurfacing, an improvement in the wider sun damage.
What is normal afterwards Redness, swelling, spots going darker, crusting or peeling, depending on the method.
What can go wrong The skin can end up darker or lighter than before, and burns, scarring, infection or an incomplete result are possible. How likely depends on your skin tone, the machine and the settings.
What else you could do Sun protection, makeup, lightening creams, a chemical peel, freezing, or simply leaving it alone, depending on what it is.
What should I expect after treatment?
What happens afterwards?
A treated brown spot may look darker before it lightens or flakes away. Recovery is usually shorter for focal pigment treatment and longer for resurfacing.
A treated brown spot usually goes darker before it lightens or flakes off. Recovery is short for treating individual spots and longer for resurfacing.
Sun protection after treatment is essential because ultraviolet exposure can promote new pigmentation and can increase the risk of post-treatment discoloration.
Keeping the sun off it afterwards is not optional. Sunlight both brings back the pigment and makes it more likely the treated area heals a different colour.
Is brown spot removal permanent?
Is it permanent?
A successfully treated solar lentigo may remain clear, but treatment does not stop skin aging or prevent new lesions from forming.
A spot that clears may well stay clear. But treatment does not stop your skin ageing, and it does not stop new spots forming.
Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, protective clothing, and limiting unnecessary ultraviolet exposure are important for maintaining results.
Daily broad spectrum sunscreen, covering up, and staying out of unnecessary sun are what keep the result.
A spot that has been removed does not come back. New sun spots can still appear if you keep getting sun. Results last for people who use sunscreen and look after their skin, and coming back to see Dr. Gallacher for a regular check keeps the skin clear two ways: new marks get treated while they are small, and anything that has changed gets looked at properly instead of lasered.
Removed spots do not return. New sun spots can still form with continued ultraviolet exposure. Long lasting results are realistic for patients who protect their skin with sunscreen and keep to healthy habits, and regular follow up appointments with Dr. Gallacher help maintain clear, even skin, both by treating new lesions while they are small and by picking up anything that has changed and needs examining rather than treating.
Illustrative result
What a result can look like
Results from pigment and resurfacing treatment, shown to illustrate what these treatments can do. Individual results vary with the type of lesion, the depth of the pigment, skin tone and how carefully the skin is protected from sun afterwards.
Results from pigment and resurfacing treatment, to show what these treatments can do. What you get depends on the type of mark, how deep the colour is, your skin tone, and how well you keep the sun off afterwards.
Questions patients ask
How do lasers for brown spot removal work?
How do these lasers work?
The device sends light energy that is preferentially absorbed by pigment in the target lesion. The treated pigment then breaks down or sheds as the skin heals.
The machine sends out a colour of light that the pigment in the spot soaks up much more than the skin around it. The pigment then breaks up or flakes away as the skin heals.
Are lasers safe for brown spot removal?
Are lasers safe for this?
In the hands of a trained healthcare professional, lasers for pigment are safe and effective. Safety rests on three things: a correct diagnosis before anything is treated, a device and settings appropriate to your skin tone and to the depth of the pigment, and a qualified medical professional performing the treatment. Complications remain possible, including pigment change in either direction, burns, scarring, infection and incomplete clearance, and the risk is higher in deeper skin tones. One specific caution: where a patient has a personal or family history of melanoma, laser treatment of moles is approached with great care, and often should not be done at all.
In trained hands, pigment lasers are safe and they work. Safety comes down to three things: knowing what the spot is before touching it, using a machine and settings that suit your skin tone and how deep the colour sits, and having a qualified medical professional do the treatment. Problems are still possible. The skin can end up lighter or darker, and burns, scarring, infection or an incomplete result can happen. The risk is higher in darker skin. One specific point: if you or your family have had a melanoma, we are very careful about lasering moles, and often we will not.
How many treatments will I need?
How many treatments will I need?
It depends on what the lesion is, how deep the pigment sits, and which method is used. For pigmentation, Pico Laser and Fraxel FTX often require two to three treatments. Deeper CO2 resurfacing usually achieves the result in one session, which is part of why Dr. Gallacher favours it where the sun damage is extensive and texture and wrinkles need addressing at the same time. Individual, superficial spots can clear faster than that. Widespread pigment almost always needs a short series.
It depends on what the mark is, how deep the colour sits, and which method we use. For pigmentation, Pico Laser and Fraxel FTX usually take two to three sessions. Deeper CO2 resurfacing usually gets there in one, which is part of why Dr. Gallacher reaches for it when the sun damage is widespread and the texture and lines need work too. Single, shallow spots can clear faster. Patchy colour over a wide area nearly always needs a short course.
Can a laser treat a mole?
Can a laser be used on a mole?
A pigmented mole should not be treated cosmetically until a clinician has confirmed the diagnosis and determined that laser treatment is appropriate. Suspicious lesions may require biopsy instead.
Not until a clinician has confirmed what it is and decided that a laser is the right thing. Anything suspicious needs a sample taken instead.
Talk it through with a physician first.
Every plan starts with an assessment of your skin, your anatomy and what you actually want to change.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Approved uses, risks and results differ from person to person, and product labelling changes. Ask us at Dermatology and Laser Centre about your own situation, or make an appointment, and seek urgent care for any serious symptom.
