What do you recommend for a brown spot under my eye?

We, at MDSkinShop.com, get questions from individuals several times a day on skin concerns they have and with the plethora of products available, they are not sure what they should use. Here is one of THE most common questions we get, in one of our customers own words:

Hi Carey:

I have placed several orders with you in past and always trust your professional opinion when it comes to my skin.  As you know, I have had concerns about the lines I am seeing around my eyes and how dull my skin looks lately and the products you recommended have really made a difference. Now I am noticing a spot under my left eye that is getting darker. It is summer and I have been spending a lot of time out in my garden so I think that is why is seems darker. What would you recommend to fade, or even better remove, this spot?

Cheers, Barb (we removed her last name for privacy purposes). 

Well, this is a very common question we get from many of our clients. There are several options available so we will explore each of them. 

Brown spots on the skin are usually from sun damage over time or from a wound that has healed leaving a brown spot behind that never goes away (this is known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) most prevalent in skin that naturally has more melanin.

The most effective ingredient on the market for lightening pigmentation is hydroquinone. You can find hydroquinone in 2% (OTC) and 4% (Rx) strength. Obviously, the higher percentage of active ingredient, the faster the results. Hydroquinone is the only FDA approved skin lightening agent available however many other ingredients have been found to help fade spots but they usually take longer to work. 

If skin is sensitive, we recommend using non-hydroquinone based skin lightening agents. Ingredients such as kojic acid, licorice extract, niacinamide, bearberry extract, mulberry extract, l-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

Some clients don't want to lighten out a brown spot but would prefer to have it removed. Removal of brown spots must be done in a clinical setting using IPL (intense pulse light) or high frequency (LAM Probe or Skin Classic). Usually high frequency is more cost effective overall.