Advanced Treatments for Brown Spots (Hyperpigmentation)

One of the most common skincare concerns is hyperpigmentation (patches of skin that become darker in color than the normal surrounding skin.) This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin color, forms brown spots in the skin.

Age or "liver" spots are a common form of hyperpigmentation and occur mostly from sun damage. So it's no surprise that lots of people here in sunny Knoxville, Tennessee have these small, darkened patches on the face and other areas frequently exposed to the sun.

(Note: There is another common form of hyperpigmentation called melasma, which is hormonal in nature and can cause large brown patches on the skin. Women are mainly effected by melasma and it needs to be  treated differently than hyperpigmentation from environmental damage and aging. Click here if you think your hyperpigmentation may be Melasma.)

The Good News: Those Brown Spots Will Go Away

Over the past couple of years, we have seen many advances in the treatment of overactive melanocytes, the cells in the lower layers of the skin that produce the pigment we want to go away. There are several methods to choose from to get rid of brown spots ranging from IPL laser to to targeted chemical peels, which can be supplemented by medical-grade products you use at home.

Our Reveal Camera Documents Your Results

Our new Reveal camera lets you see sun damage and brown spots deep in the dermal layers of your skin before they are visible to the naked eye (and while you still have time to correct it.) In addition to documenting brown spots, the Reveal camera shows areas of redness and vascular features to help develop highly targeted treatment recommendations just for you. You will be able to accurately measure the results of your skin care regimen like never before. Best of all, the Reveal photographs are included at no charge in your free skin care consultation.

LimeLight IPL Treatment uses light to correct the pigment in the layers of your skin to reduce discoloration and promote a more even skin tone. LimeLight treats specific areas without abrading the skin’s surface.  If you have specific age spots treated, they will darken immediately and begin to flake off naturally within one to three weeks to reveal clearer skin.

Here are before and after pictures of one of our patients before and after her IPL treatments. More photos, information and pricing are located on our IPL Procedure Page.

Before and After Limelight Treatment- Here are Reveal camera photos of a 33-year-old woman who wanted to erase the hyperpigmentation, freckles and brown spots on her face. She had three Limelight IPL treatments over a period of 5 months. Definitely click on the thumbnail to view the larger version of her photos. What a difference!

Chemical peels are proving to be very effective at evening skin discoloration and getting rid of brown spots. Our new generation of chemical peels from Young Pharmaceuticals, Results Rx and Société Clinical Skincare is a far cry from old-fashioned peels which could be harsh and irritating to the skin without very exciting results.

Rather than just treating the superficial layers of the skin like peels of the past, these new chemical peels penetrate to the dermis, rejuvenating the skin from the inside out. Chirally-corrected active ingredients actually help to remodel the skin for less down time and more visible results.

There are several peels to choose from depending on your budget, how sensitive your skin is and the degree of hyperpigmentation you have... Don't worry, we'll walk you through it. Licensed Aesthetician Heather McNeal is getting incredible results from the Melanage Peel. For those who can't afford any downtime, a series of Mini Melanage Peels is also a great option.

More information on chemical peels, including all the prices, are on our Chemical Peels Menu.

Before and After Skin Care for Brown Spots and Sun Damage: These two photographs are taken of Katie with our Reveal Camera showing the underlying sun damage in her skin. The first (taken on August 10) shows high degrees of damage from sun and tanning beds which weren't visible by looking at her skin with the naked eye. In the second shot, (November 30) you can see significant improvement in the damage to the skin which was achieved by skin care, a Chemical Peel and sun protection. Click on the Katie's images to see the larger detailed photos.

Young Pharmaceuticals is our brand-new to our office. Their products to treat hyperpigmentation are seriously effective and unlike anything we have seen on the market to date. All of their products are color-coded by skin condition to make it easy for you to find them on our shelf, so if you have hyperpigmentation, look for this teal color. Here are the three we are most excited about.

Kojilac-CHQ 4% Pads contain potent skin lightening ingredients plus antioxidants to make it a staff and patient favorite. These pre-saturated pads are compounded at the time you buy it so you know the ingredients are at their best. The pads combine Kojic acid, Lactic acid, Vitamin C, Green Tea and Hydroquinone, making them among the strongest and most effective treatments available for hyperpigmentation and melasma.$78

Spot treatment of hyperpigmentation has never been easier than with the Kojilac CHQ 4% Touchstick. Like the pads, the Touchstick is blended at the time you buy it and contains the same powerful lightening ingredients. The Kojilac Touchstick is portable and perfect to slip into your makeup bag when you travel. You can use the Touchstick wherever you see brown spots, typically the face, hands, chest and neck. $31   (P.S. If you know anyone with acne, Young makes another great spot treatment Touchstick called BlemErase.)

Saturday Night Brightener- This is a take-home "mini" chemical peel that you can use once a week to maintain and extend the results of your in-office procedure. It is one of our favorite new products because it battles hyperpigmentation without the use of hydroquinone. It's powerful stuff so initially you want to leave it on for 15 to 30 minutes before you wash it off. Eventually you may be able to work up to leaving it on overnight. $48

Clarisonic Professional Skin Care Brush- The Clarisonic Pro is one of our old favorites and it turns out it is also a great tool in the fight against hyperpigmentation. The Clarisonic Pro was chosen by Oprah as one of her favorite things. Click here or on the thumbnail to read more about it.

(Featuring four facial speeds including an exclusive PRO speed - plus a body mode. The PRO is only available for sale by skin care professionals.) $195

Sunscreen is essential to remove brown spots!-
It's not sexy but it's really true. Good sunscreen is the most important part both in fighting hyperpigmentation and to keeping it from coming back. Dr. Reath explains why and how in this recent Truth-O-Meter Tuesday video.

Actual Patient Letters