How to treat black spots on the skin?

picture of a woman who has black spots on her face

Black spots on the skin

Black spots are dark spots formed on the skin and are small in size. Black spots are the signs of aging, sun exposure, and changes in melanin secretion and are also caused due to ultraviolet rays.

The black spots occur due to high production or overproduction of melanin secretion. The black spots appear on your face, hands, shoulder, etc. In this melanin pigments of your body do not function properly and the skin becomes more prone to aging. The important factor for black spots is age and environmental elements. Black spots are not harmful to your skin. Most of the time black spots may cause the sign of skin cancer. Black spots do not need any treatment if not harmful but can be removed for many cosmetic reasons. Black spots have the same appearance as that of skin and these spots are not painful.

What are the black spots on the skin?

Black spots are checked and examined based on the condition of the skin. If the black spots seem harmful or more severe or seem to be because of an underlying disease, it is removed by biopsy by the healthcare specialist or dermatologists. This sudden black spot is tested for any abnormalities.

Black spots usually appear due to aging and many environmental factors. Black spots are mainly caused by direct exposure to sunlight. Therefore either use sunscreen lotions or cover your full hands, legs, and body while stepping out in sunlight. Black spots can be treated naturally, by cosmetic treatment, or by home remedies. And here are a few home remedies to cure black spots:

Home remedies like yogurt, papaya, turmeric, tomato, and aloe vera are good for removing or reducing black spots. This remedy exfoliates the dead cells of the skin and this also helps in making skin radiant. These home products are turmeric and aloe vera, the tomato should be crushed and used as a paste for applying a face mask to lighten the black spots.

Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and should be incorporated into a daily skincare routine. Turmeric lightens the black and dark spots on the skin. Use a paste of turmeric powder honey or lemon and apply it to the face.

Papaya is a natural exfoliant that contains alpha-hydroxy acid present in skincare products. It helps remove dead skin cells. Papaya mask maintains skin elasticity.

Causes of black spots on the skin

Due to over secretion of melanin pigment hyperpigmentation occurs and these black spots refer to hyperpigmentation of the skin. These black spots appear when the acne gets cured and leaves behind dark spots. These dark spots are black spots on the skin.

Black spots are caused by these factors:

Exposure to UV light
Skin conditions
Medications
Pregnancy
Liver disease
Hormonal changes
Environmental factors
Hypersensitivity

How to remove black spots on skin?

Black spots can be removed by many techniques and their appearance can also be reduced by many methods. Though black spots are not harmful many youngsters choose to remove it for cosmetic purposes.

1. Bleaching creams:

Bleaching creams slowly eliminates the appearance of black spots on the skin and it takes months to disappear. Skin lightening creams work as bleaching the skin by decreasing melanin production. Lightning creams contain hydroquinone as an active ingredient in the product which results in lightning the black spots on the skin. Bleaching cream should not be used regularly as it leads to health risks.

2. Laser Treatment:

Black spots on the skin are not always harmful or are non-cancerous. Laser treatment can be used to treat black spots by using high energy which removes the skin layer by layer. This treatment uses light energy to remove black spots. Laser treatment can arise the risk for swelling, redness, scarring, bruising of the skin, and changes in normal skin appearance. You can this as a side effect of laser treatment.

3. Retinoid solutions:

Retinoid solutions contain ingredients such as retinoic acid and alpha hydroxy acid. These ingredients promote the growth of healthy skin, and the multiplication of skin cells, and help in increasing the exfoliation process. It becomes necessary to use sunscreen as skin becomes sensitive to UV radiation and makes appear dry.

4. Chemical peels:

Peels and exfoliating products remove the dead layer of skin making it clean and clear. The skin layer after the removal is healthy and evenly toned. There is however a possibility of skin irritation.

The above procedures may have some side effects which have a low effect that includes skin irritation, redness of the skin, etc.

Some instructions after the above treatments are:

Apply sunscreen while stepping in direct sunlight as recurrent black spots may occur.
Always use lotions with sunscreen having high SPF content.
Try using bleaches and creams to lighten the dark spots not too regularly.

Take Away

Black spots with other environmental factors such as sun exposure, skin conditions, medications, etc. Black spots are harmless and are not painful. People remove black spots for cosmetic reasons. There are many natural remedies to get rid of black spots.

FAQs

Which deficiency causes black spots on skin?

Vitamin B12 deficiency is known to be causing black spots on the skin. With a deficiency of Vitamin B12 melanin production increases.

Are black spots on skin normal?

Yes, the formation of black spots on the skin is normal, until it is not affecting your beauty and is mentally disturbing.

What should we eat to reduce black spots?

You can eat, tomato, turmeric, and papaya, and can also consume green tea, aloe vera juice, and lemon juice to reduce black spots.

References

Dark spots on the skin: Causes and treatment. By Medical News Today, Mar 29, 2019.

Dark spots and more. By Mayo Clinic, Feb 11, 2022.

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