One of the issues that proliferates the most in dermatology consultations is the appearance of spots on the face. Excessive sun exposure, together with genetic and hormonal factors, can lead to the appearance of different types of spots that give our face a dull and dim appearance.
And, precisely because there is a wide variety of spots, it is essential to go to a dermatologist to determine what type it is in order to treat them correctly. Today, technological advances help in diagnosis to access the most appropriate and effective treatment.
As explained by the Dr. Maria Calvoresponsible for the service at , facial blemishes are classified into two large groups: solar lentigines and melasma.
solar lentigines
According to the expert, its origin is in accumulated solar exposure throughout life, and in previous ones, even in childhood and adolescence. Therefore, they are considered as signs of photo aging.
And it is that the famous phrase “the skin has memory”, which we have heard so many times, is reflected in these lesions when they appear years after sun damage.
As they are?
To recognize them, Dr. Calvo describes them like this:
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“Solar lentigines are brown spots, sometimes of various shades
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With a somewhat irregular edge or contour
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of different sizes
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They can appear isolated or grouped”.
Where do they appear?
Solar lentigines, as the dermatologist explains, appear progressively throughout life, mainly in areas more exposed to sunlight and that have suffered burns, especially in:
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Expensive
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Hands
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Neckline
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Shoulders
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Extremities.
Who is affected?
“They are more common in fair-skinned people, since they burn more easily, but they are sometimes seen in darker skin types as well.”
The most important thing about these injuries, warns Dr. María Calvo, is to make a correct diagnosis, since sometimes they can be confused with malignant lesionscalled lentigo maligna, which must be treated with surgery.
How are they treated?
“To treat these conditions, we have laser platforms with a wavelength that is absorbed by melanin, so that the pigment is destroyed and the stain disappears.”
As the specialist points out, we are talking about a simple and painless treatmentwhich after doing so leaves a small crusty lesion in the area that heals in 7 days.
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“It is very important to carry out strict sun protection in the weeks following treatment, and the most appropriate time to treat them is the winter months.
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When there are many lentigines, a sweep of the area can also be carried out, with pulsed light, because in a very non-aggressive way it achieves a unification of the tone and an increase in luminosity”.
melasma
Another of the most common facial spots that gives many patients a complex is melasma.
We are talking about a dark spot, more diffuse in appearance than lentigines, which usually appears:
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In the cheek area
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on the upper lip
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In the forehead.
In this case, as the expert explains, “it has an origin, so that it appears above all after taking oral contraceptives, pregnancies or hormonal treatments, although it also has a certain genetic predisposition.”
But, although its origin is hormonal, the sun does not help patients who have it, since it melasma is clearly aggravated by sun exposureso that it worsens in the spring and summer months and clears up in winter.
Who is affected?
Another aspect that differentiates melasma from solar lentigines is that it tends to appear more frequently in people with a high phototype (brown) and can be seen in both women and men, although less frequently in the latter.
There are, in turn, different types of melasma, with a more superficial or deeper distribution, with a greater or lesser vascular component.
How is it treated?
Once correctly diagnosed and classified, treatment can be started to reduce this type of stain.
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“It consists of the combination of depigmenting cosmetic products for home use, with chemical peels in consultation, as well as the use of some light sources that, depending on the type of melasma, can help. In addition, sometimes associated medical treatments are used that enhance the results.
And as the Olympia dermatologist concludes:
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“In a very special way, it requires strict care and maintenance before, during and after treatment, since it is a lesion with a great tendency to recur.”