Body spots are small changes in skin color that can appear due to multiple causes, such as sun exposure, pregnancy or taking contraceptives, among others.
What types of facial and body spots are there?
It will depend on the origin that causes the stain. Occasionally, a small pigmentary residue may remain after hematomas or areas of vascular stasis; for example, in the legs with venous problems or in the dark circles under the eyes and, among other components, they are usually caused by the accumulation of hemosiderin. More common are those that appear due to sun exposure and overproduction of melanin.
Depending on the pigmentary component, the depth of the blemish and the condition that causes it, the appropriate treatment may be different (peeling, laser, pulsed light, oral supplements…).
In which areas of the body is it most common for spots to appear?
The highest incidence is in the areas most exposed to the sun: face, décolleté and hands. There is no such thing as total topical protection and although there are cosmetics with very high protection, it will never be total protection. We must understand that solar radiation is cumulative and that, even if we start to take care of ourselves, we will continue to get sun spots due to the hours of sun exposure we have had before. But if we do not take care of ourselves, even more will appear.
Smoking is another conditioning factor in the appearance of spots, but it also affects the color of the skin. Smoking makes the skin more sallow, olive-colored and dull due to the decrease in peripheral arterial blood flow it causes; this tone is much more difficult to treat. Logically, it is directly related to the number of cigarettes/day and the number of years smoked.
Another factor to consider is the progressive loss of the ability to pigment evenly that occurs as we age.
What treatments are available to treat facial and body spots?
The basis of spot treatments are chemical peels; very suitable for spots with hormonal influence or oily skin. There is also pulsed light, which is our preference for treating dyschromias, which are associated with the pigmentary and vascular component, poikiloderma, or simply for those young people who want to even out the tone and give more luminosity to the skin. It is undoubtedly the treatment of choice for the décolleté, and a very striking improvement is achieved from the first session. Finally, there are ablative or non-ablative lasers. They are a very good option for patients who have several pigments associated with them or in older people; the only problem is in the recovery, since it is more difficult to conceal in the first days.
Once the treatment for the spots has been performed, is it possible for them to reappear?
Currently, there is no treatment that removes the spots and prevents the appearance of others. What we can do is to eliminate the ones that are present at that moment and slow down the speed of skin deterioration. Over time, there is a big difference between those who take care of the conditioning factors and have some treatment from time to time, and those who do not take any preventive or palliative measures.