Spot Treatment
Various types of spots can develop on our skin due to different reasons and factors. Although these spots, darker than the skin color, do not threaten our lives, they can cause certain cosmetic problems and even lead to some psychological issues that can affect the social life of some individuals.
Some benign nevi (skin moles): These can sometimes appear as spots or develop into raised areas on the skin.
Skin cancer (Melanoma): Malignant melanoma, a type of skin cancer, can manifest itself as a dark-colored spot. Particularly, if there’s a dark color in the center, subsequent color changes, bleeding, or opening of wounds, these could be signs of cancer.
Sunspots: Prolonged exposure to the sun without using sun protection can cause sunspots. The skin thickens to protect itself, leading to increased melanin pigment production and subsequent spot formation.
Pregnancy spots (Melasma): Hormonal changes during pregnancy, as well as the use of birth control pills due to their hormonal composition, can cause excessive production of melanin pigment. This increase can result in spots, especially on areas most exposed to the sun such as the cheeks, forehead, and chin, which can reoccur with a genetic predisposition and during repeated pregnancies.
Freckles: These spots, mostly seen on the cheeks, forehead, and chin, can appear as light or darker coffee-colored spots. They usually increase during sunny seasons and decrease in sunless seasons.
Fungal infections: Some fungal infections can lead to spotting on the skin.
Café au lait spots: These milk-coffee-colored spots develop from birth or in early childhood. Varying in size, these spots can sometimes occur alone or be a sign of neurofibromatosis diseases.
Allergic reactions: Some orally taken medications or topically applied creams can cause hyperpigmentation. Sometimes, there might be mild redness and allergic reactions, while in other cases, there might be more severe reactions leading to localized water retention and the formation of spot areas.
How are These Spots Treated?
Some of these skin issues are treated with medications, while others can be treated in different ways such as chemical peeling (skin peeling), dermabrasion, surgical excision, cauterization, or laser treatment.
Medical Treatment
Topical treatment can be done with hydroquinone, kojic acid, ascorbic acid, or retinoic acids, which may require additional treatments for results.
Chemical Peeling
Chemical peels are categorized into superficial, medium, and deep peels. Superficial and deep peels should be applied by doctors and can vary in concentrations. When applied correctly, these fruit acid derivative drugs do not affect the person’s daily activities or work. The number of sessions and intervals (averaging 5-10 sessions per week) can vary depending on skin type, skin color, and the intensity of the problem.
Since deep peels peel the skin’s deep layers, the recovery period is slow, and they are not preferred much due to the high risk of side effects when not done correctly.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is a skin sanding process aimed at reducing the rough appearance of the skin surface. It is most commonly applied to reduce the scars, spots, or raised scars left by healing pimples.
The procedure involves peeling the most superficial layer of the skin. When the skin’s superficial layer is peeled off, a smoother, tighter, and fresher layer of skin emerges.
Microdermabrasion
It is a method of superficial peeling on the skin using aluminum hydroxide crystals and can sometimes be used alone or in conjunction with chemical peels. The number of sessions may vary depending on the problem’s condition.
Cryotherapy – Ice – Ice Cream Therapy
It involves eliminating the spots by freezing them. Applications are easy and practical. Liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide is used in applications, and sometimes there may be redness or localized water retention, followed by dark-colored scabbing.
The scabs usually fall off within an average of 2 weeks, revealing a more vibrant skin color.
Spot Treatment with Laser
Carbon dioxide and Erbium lasers can be used. Since carbon dioxide lasers cause deep peeling, they show long recovery periods and rejuvenate the collagen bands, resulting in skin rejuvenation simultaneously. Erbium lasers, on the other hand, provide faster healing. Additionally, skin rejuvenation can be performed with erbium lasers.