What do you recommend I do 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)

Brown spots and freckles have a way of rearing their ugly head in the summer simply because the UVA rays of the sun darken the photodamage that is already on the surface of the skin. It is much less noticeable in the winter when the skin returns to its natural color. As time goes on, these spots become darker until they get to the point where the spot is noticeable all the time. That is usually when most people decide to look for ways to get rid of it.

The options out there are:

Lightening:
Lighten the dark spots out with skin lighteners usually containing hydroquinone, licorice extract, bearberry extract, kojic acid and alpha hydroxy acids. These products work relatively slowly and only lighten the spot out. As soon as the skin is exposed to UVA rays without adequate sun protection - BOOM! they are right back in all their glory.

IPL:
IPL stands for Intense Pulse Light. This is usually performed in a physician's office or in a medical spa that is equipped with a machine. IPL is different than a laser but many people tend to use the terms interchanging. IPL zaps the spot and disperses the melanin accumulation in the spot. Over a short period of time, the melanin that is scattered sloughs off the skin's surface. New skin forms that is not photodamaged.  IPL can be quite expensive and painful.

High Frequency: 
The machine uses a high frequency current that delivers a precise current through a microneedle to cauterize the growth. As the irregularity is removed, a natural scab develops. Within a few days, the scab will fall off and be replaced by healthy new skin. In most cases, one treatment is all that is needed in order to remove the pigmentation. Like IPL, high frequency disperses the melanin clumping in the brown spot pulling it to the surface of the skin where it healed out naturally. A pink spot will be left after the brown spot heals. This is new skin and will change to the color of the surrounding skin in a few weeks time. High frequency is very affordable, no down time and takes only a few minutes to remove. Pain wise, it feels like a bee sting.

High Frequency is also used for the treatment and removal of lesions such as broken capillaries (telangiectasias), cholesterol deposits, seborrheic keratosis, cherry angiomas, sebaceous hyperplasia, clogged pores, deep blackheads, white heads (milia) and skin tags.

Choosing the right treatment for your skin is between you and your skin care specialist. Treatment is usually based on downtime, money and the amount of photodamage. For example, if your skin is speckeled with little brown spots or intermingled between little spots and larger spots, treatment with lightening agents or peels is an appropriate option. If you only have one or two spots, high frequency may be suitable. If you have three or four larger spots, IPL may be the best alternative for your needs. Sometimes combination therapies are warranted - which would require a discussion with your skin care specialist.