People who suffer from acne, blemishes, sunburn or have skin conditions will most likely have experience with dark spots sometime in their lives. Although dark spots are not as bad or as obvious as acne and breakouts, they are annoying and can be extremely difficult to get rid of.

Read More:

Although some dark spots can be permanent, there are procedural and natural solutions we can try to minimize them or get rid of them altogether. With that being said, let’s identify what they are and how to remove them. 

What are Dark Spots and Its Causes

Remove Dark Spots

Dark spots are the small patches in your skin that are a different skin tone to the rest. They are also known as hyperpigmentation, age spots, liver spots, and solar lentigines.

They vary in size depending on their causes. Most people who have dark spots develop them during middle age. Other reasons for dark spots include:

  • Sun damage – Sun damage from overexposure to the sun outdoors or possible skin damage from tanning beds can leave dark spots on your body and face. This can happen throughout the body, and dark spots are left when the skin isn’t able to fully recover.
  • Wound healing – When your skin experiences an insect bite, cut, scar, burn or even acne inflammation, dark spots can be a sign of the healing. The dark spots from this cause can fully heal or may be permanent depending on the severity of the wound.
  • Hormonal changes – Small patches of skin can become discoloured due to a skin condition called melasma. Melasma happens when hormones fluctuate and mainly occurs in women during pregnancy.
  • Side effects of medication – Certain types of medication can enhance skin pigmentation and lead to dark patches on the skin. Although most medications should not have this side effect in the skin, common culprits for dark spots can come from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tetracyclines, and psychotropic drugs.
  • Skin Inflammation – Certain skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis are types of skin inflammation that can result in dark spots. Breaking premature pimples or inflamed acne can also result in dark spots.

How to Remove the Visibility of Dark Spots

Remove Dark Spots

1. Lemon Juice

Lemons are a rich source of antioxidants, including flavonoids that can certainly help with lightening up the appearance of dark spots on the face. Get fresh lemon juice and dilute with water. With a cotton swab, apply it to affected areas and rinse off with water after 20 minutes.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera contains a compound called aloin. This can certainly help with pigmentation problems, including dark spots with its melanocytic effects. Using aloe Vera gel that is designed for skin use, apply to affected areas and rinse off after leaving it on for 20-30 minutes before rinsing.

3. Turmeric Powder

Turmeric powder is known to help decrease the visibility of dark spots as it contains an abundance of antioxidants. Mix it with water creating a paste texture and apply onto affected areas, leaving it on for 10-20 minutes before rinsing with water. Turmeric water is also known to keep your face clean and prevent acne breakouts.

4. Cucumber

Cucumber is also another food that is rich in antioxidants that can help with minimizing the appearance of dark spots. Its antioxidants and silica compounds can help to lighten the colour of skin.

You can cut up cucumbers into small slices and lay it on the affected areas while lying down. After having them rest on your face for 20-30 minutes, rinse off with water.

5. Cosmetic Procedures

Medical procedures are a more expensive but quicker solution. With the advancement of cosmetic procedures over recent years, getting rid of dark spots has never been easier or faster.

The best way to find out how you can get these procedures done is to speak with your doctor or dermatologist first. Some popular cosmetic treatments for dark spots include the below:

6. Laser Treatment

This form of treatment entails concentrated Light energy is used to remove skin layer by layer, getting rid of dark spots in the process.

7. Chemical Peels

Using the main ingredients of salicylic and glycolic acid, chemical peels help to remove the top layer of the skin and promote the growth of new and healthier skin cells from underneath and will help with removing blemishes and dark spots.

8. Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a machine that emits fine crystals onto the face and helps to scrape away dead, old and tired skin cells before sucking away the dead skin cells through the machine.

This is the perfect treatment for sensitive skin as it is low-risk, does not have any serious side effects.

Keep in Mind

Remove Dark Spots

If you already have an existing skin condition or have tried some of the above dark spot solutions to no positive result, speak with your doctor. It could be that you have a skin condition and you may be prescribed medication. You may also get referred to a dermatologist who will have other solutions for you.

If you invest a lot of time, money and effort into removing dark spots on your skin, likely, you will eventually succeed. However, it’s important to keep in mind that along with all these efforts, it will demand a lot of patience and financial investment.

Though dark spots can be annoying, a lot of people have it. As it’s not a direct threat to your health, there’s nothing wrong with living with it. However, if you still feel unsatisfied with your complexion or feel self-conscious about it, you can try any of the above solutions. 

Head over to the Okadoc app to immediately book an appointment with your health practitioner.