Welcome to MiraMed and Day Spa! Are you wondering about those pesky patches or spots on your skin? You’re not alone. Skin discoloration is a common concern that many people face. Understanding the different types of skin discoloration and their causes can help you find the right treatment. Let’s dive into the world of skin discoloration, covering everything from melasma and hyperpigmentation to sun spots, hypopigmentation, cherry angioma, and age spots.

What is Skin Discoloration?

Skin discoloration refers to any change in your skin color that differs from your normal skin tone. It can range from dark spots to light patches and can be caused by various factors, including sun exposure, hormonal changes, and aging.

Hyperpigmentation

Symptoms and Causes: Hyperpigmentation is a broad term for darkened areas of the skin, caused by an excess of melanin. It can result from acne scars, sun damage, or inflammation. 

Treatment Options:

  • Topical Treatments: Ingredients like vitamin C, kojic acid, and azelaic acid can help fade dark spots.
  • Chemical Peels: These treatments exfoliate the top layer of skin, revealing lighter skin beneath. We highly recommend our VI Peels or Epionce Lite Peel. 
  • HydraFacial: This results-driven facial cleanses, exfoliates, and hydrates the skin to improve tightness, elasticity, and tone. HydraFacial also uses a gentle glycolic acid peel to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation.
  • Laser Treatments: Depending on your type of hyperpigmentation, certain laser treatments like IPL for example, can target and reduce dark spots effectively.
  • SkinPen Microneedling: Miconeedling is one of our favorite treatments provided at MiraMed! Fine needles attached to a handheld device are used to create micro-injuries in the skin, utilizing your skin’s natural healing process to boost collagen production and improve skin texture and tone.

Melasma

Symptoms and Causes: Melasma appears as brown or gray-brown patches, typically on the face. It’s a type of hyperpigmentation often called the “mask of pregnancy” because it frequently occurs during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. However, melasma can affect anyone and is also triggered by sun exposure and genetics.

Treatment Options:

  • Topical Creams: Hydroquinone and tretinoin creams will help lighten the melasma.
  • Chemical Peels: These exfoliate the skin and reduce discoloration. At MiraMed, we offer VI Peels, a type of chemical peel proven to significantly reduce discoloration from melasma. Check out our blog on VI Peels to learn more!
  • SkinPen Microneedling: SkinPen’s microneedling device helps reduce melasma as the micro-injuries inflicted on the skin produce more collagen and help even out skin tone and texture. 
  • Sun Protection: Daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen (preferably SPF 50+) is crucial.

Sunspots

Symptoms and Causes: Sun spots, also known as solar lentigines, appear as flat, brown spots on areas exposed to the sun, like the face, hands, and arms. They result from prolonged sun exposure. Sunspots are similar to age spots, however, may appear lighter on the skin.  

Treatment Options:

  • Topical Creams: Retinoids and bleaching agents can lighten sun spots.
  • Laser Treatments: Our Intense Light Pulse (IPL) laser treatment targets and breaks down the pigment in sunspots. 
  • Chemical Peels: Our VI Peels and Epionce Lite Peel both help exfoliate the outer layer of skin where sun spots reside, therefore resulting in a smoother, more even-toned complexion. Check out our latest blog post on VI Peels to learn more!

Hypopigmentation

Symptoms and Causes: Hypopigmentation refers to patches of skin that are lighter than the surrounding area. It can result from excessive sun exposure, skin damage, such as burns or infections, and conditions like vitiligo.

Treatment Options:

  • Topical Treatments: Corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors can help.
  • Light Therapy: UVB light therapy can stimulate repigmentation.
  • Skin Grafting: In some cases, surgical grafting can restore skin color.
  • Cosmetic Cover-ups: Makeup can be used to blend the lighter areas with your natural skin tone.

Cherry Angioma

Symptoms and Causes: Cherry angiomas are small, bright red, elevated spots that can appear anywhere on the body. They are made up of blood vessels and are usually harmless, often increasing with age.

Treatment Options:

  • Laser Treatment: Our laser treatments can effectively remove cherry angiomas by targeting the pigment. 
  • Cryotherapy: Freezing the angiomas with liquid nitrogen can also be effective.

Age Spots

Symptoms and Causes: Age spots, also known as liver spots, are flat, brown, gray, or black spots that usually appear on sun-exposed areas as you age. They are caused by an excess production of melanin.

Treatment Options:

  • Topical Creams: Lightening agents like hydroquinone can reduce the appearance of age spots.
  • Laser Treatment: Our lasers can target and break down the pigment.
  • Chemical Peels: Peels such as our VI Peel and Epionce Lite Peel exfoliate the skin to reduce the appearance of age spots and even out skin tone/texture.
  • Microdermabrasion: This procedure can help to diminish age spots by exfoliating the outer layer of skin.

If you’re concerned about skin discoloration, book an appointment today! 

MiraMed and Day Spa is here to help! Our experienced team offers a variety of treatments tailored to your specific needs. Give us a call at (805)770-2461 to discuss the best treatment options for your skin and book an appointment. We look forward to helping you achieve clearer, more even-toned skin!

 

MiraMed and Day Spa
1921 State St Suite B, Santa Barbara CA, 93101