Posted on: July 22, 2022
Find out how to permanently delete them
Exposure to the sun can lead, in addition to a pleasant tan, to the appearance of annoying sun spots on the skin.
This can happen for several factors, however, it is essential to remember that if you do not use total protection factors, on the whole body, and for the duration of exposure to the sun, they are much more likely to appear. The problem is that, although most of the time this hyperpigmentation of the skin disappears along with the tan, other times it does not.
So let’s get to better understand what skin spots are, why they form and how to eliminate them when they remain visible even after the summer.
Skin spots are recognized by their irregular shape and size. They tend to appear on the face, but they can occur anywhere on the body that has been exposed to the sun.
The trigger is usually the sun, specifically unprotected exposure. The sun’s rays interfere with the tanning process: UV rays trigger an increase in the production of melanin which, consequently, causes the appearance of these annoying spots.
Usually, the people most affected by this blemish are the over 60s, both men and women. However, they can appear at any age, so let’s try to understand what types of sunspots exist.
Three different causes can explain the onset of hyperpigmented spots: inflammatory states, hormonal alterations, or the use of photosensitizing supplements/drugs.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can occur as a result of light but repeated skin trauma, caused for example by waxing, excessive rubbing, folliculitis, or acne followed by excessive sun exposure.
Spots due to hormonal changes are frequent in people who suffer from changes in the level of hormones in the blood, as can happen during pregnancy, menopause or with the use of oral contraceptives, or for endocrine causes. The areas usually most affected are the forehead, cheekbones, chin, and the portion between the upper lip and nose.
Other times, usually most of these, dark spots appear due to excessive production of melanin in the epidermis (in the early phase) and the dermis (in the later phase). On the other hand, the appearance of dark spots caused by taking supplements (based on bergamot or St. John’s wort) or photosensitizing drugs (some anti-inflammatory to antibiotics), despite being very common, is not even that rare.
The spots may stand out from the rest of the epidermis because they are lighter. This happens when the skin’s melanocytes are unable to produce enough melanin. The causes can be traced to:
Getting rid of sunspots is not easy, and anyone who has suffered from this condition knows it well. Prevention, especially in this case, is much better than cure, which is why sunscreen should always be worn, even when you are already tanned.
However, if until a few years ago permanently eliminating sunspots was something really difficult, today it is no longer the case. In fact, after years of attempts and proposals coming from the most disparate branches of medicine, now there is an effective, quick, painless, and definitive solution: laser therapy.
There are several solutions to treat and eliminate sunspots. These are methods that exploit the power of light beams to completely remove pigmented or vascular spots.
Based on the type of spots and the starting situation, together with the aesthetic doctor, the most suitable solution for the patient is sought. In this way, it is possible to study an ad hoc and personalized path, able to minimize and erase these annoying spots in the shortest possible time.
Any laser therapy method is not painful and is performed in the clinic. In this way, blemishes can be corrected without damaging the surrounding tissues. It is very important to choose a plastic surgeon, who will have to inform you about the precautions to be taken before and after the treatment.
After the session, for example, redness is physiological and inevitable. After treating the area, it is better to avoid direct sun for at least 30 days, it is, therefore, necessary to expose yourself only with a high protection cream, applied frequently. The final result of the treatment will be appreciable after about 2 months and after a cycle of at least 2 or 3 sessions.
