Dark Spots and Sun Spots

Dark spots and sun spots are flat, tan-to-brown marks that tend to appear on the face, chest and backs of the hands after years of time outdoors. Most people live with them for a while, and the tipping point is often small: a concealer that used to blend now sits visibly on top of the spots, or the backs of your hands start to look older than the rest of you.

This page is cosmetic information, not a medical assessment. At Skinholic Aesthetics & Laser, an aesthetician or laser technician, not a physician, looks at your skin in person at a free consultation at our Surrey or Aldergrove (Langley Township) clinic before recommending anything, so the options you hear about are matched to your skin tone, how the spots are distributed and what you want to change.

Why do sun spots feel so hard to manage on your own?

You probably noticed them gradually: a scattering of brown spots across your cheeks, the backs of your hands or the top of your chest that were not there ten years ago. Perhaps you angle your face away from the light in photos, keep a cardigan handy for an open neckline, or have worked through a drawer of serums that promised more than they delivered. None of that means you did anything wrong. Years of Lower Mainland summers add up quietly, and skin simply keeps a record.

Then there is the question of what to ask for. A friend may swear by something that changed her skin, but every skin is different, and what worked for her may not be the right fit for your tone, your sensitivity or the depth of your pigment. Trial and error on your own costs time and patience without telling you much about your own skin.

An in-person look is what settles it. At either Skinholic clinic, a practitioner looks at your skin, asks about your sun history, your current products and what bothers you most, and only then suggests a personalized plan. It helps to know up front that cosmetic treatments aim for steady improvement over a series of sessions supported by ongoing care, not an overnight change. For many clients, the relief starts the moment the guesswork ends and there is a plan written for their own skin.

What do dark spots and sun spots typically look like?

Sun-related pigment tends to show up in a few recognizable ways. These are common cosmetic appearances, not a checklist for working out whether something is medically wrong, and your practitioner looks at what you are seeing in person.

• Small, flat spots ranging from light tan to deep brown, most often across the cheeks, temples and forehead
• Spots that may look darker after a summer outdoors and soften slightly over winter
• A freckled or speckled pattern that has spread gradually over years rather than weeks
• Pigment that sits flush with the skin, with no raised edge or change in texture
• Spots with crisp, defined edges that look separate from one another rather than merging into a single patch
• A handful of spots across the chest or on the backs of the hands that can seem to stand out more than those on the face

What might contribute to dark spots and sun spots?

Sun spots rarely have a single cause. These are commonly cited cosmetic contributors, written as possibilities rather than facts about your skin.

• Cumulative sun exposure over many years, including through car and office windows, is the contributor most often linked to this kind of pigment
• Inconsistent use of broad-spectrum sunscreen, especially on the hands, neck and chest, can allow pigment to build
• Outdoor work, sports, boating and gardening through long Fraser Valley summers can add to that exposure
• Natural skin tone and how readily your skin produces pigment in response to UV light
• Age, since pigment tends to accumulate and become more visible over time
• Past tanning-bed use or sunburns earlier in life are often associated with spots that appear later
• Certain skincare ingredients and fragrances that can increase sensitivity to sunlight

A Skinholic practitioner reviews these factors with you at your consultation, because the mix is different for everyone and shapes which options make sense. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen supports any plan; our post on why mineral sunscreen belongs in your skincare routine (Why Mineral Sunscreen Belongs in Your Skincare Routine) explains what to look for.