Priorities
Sun spots and pigmentation
Brown spots, melasma, and uneven tone from sun exposure, each treated according to its cause.
Pigmentation usually takes one of two forms. Sun spots show up as a scatter of brown across the cheekbones and the backs of the hands after years of sun exposure. Melasma shows up as a symmetrical shadow across the upper lip and cheeks that tends to fade in winter and return each summer.
The distinction matters: sun spots respond well to light-based treatment, while melasma can get worse with it. Identifying which one you have is the first step.
What we'd want you to know
Melasma isn't a sun spot, and IPL can make it worse
If the spots are discrete and your skin is lighter, IPL is the fastest route. Our medical esthetician can treat your face, neck, or hands in three to five sessions. The spots darken and look like coffee grounds for about a week, then flake off.
If your skin is medium to dark, or the pigment is a mask that flares in summer, that’s melasma, and IPL can trigger a rebound. Instead, we’d suggest a VI Peel Precision Plus series, which lifts pigment more gently and is the safer route in darker skin.
Sun spots or melasma: telling them apart
We’ll ask you three questions. Did the spots arrive one at a time, or as a symmetrical patch during pregnancy or while on the pill? Do they darken after time in the sun? And what’s your natural skin tone?
For discrete spots on lighter skin, we use IPL, a broad-spectrum light rather than a laser, FDA-cleared for benign pigmented and vascular lesions. A 2022 systematic review of 16 studies with 637 participants, all skin types I to IV, found benefit for sun spots, blotchy pigment and texture after a mean of 4.29 sessions, with the caveat that nine studies were of low quality, per Archives of Dermatological Research.
A symmetrical mask that flares with sun is melasma. The IPL clearance technically lists it, but the evidence review on energy devices for melasma warns of a high risk of lasting side effects with aggressive approaches and recommends combination treatment, per Dermatologic Therapy. For melasma, we’ll start with a VI Peel series, consistent daily sunscreen, and sometimes a dermatologist’s prescription first. Microneedling with PRP is a supported add-on: a 12-study review found a large improvement in melasma at 12 weeks when needling was paired with topical treatment, per JAAD. Individual results vary.
If you have any new, irregular, or growing spot, we’ll ask you to have it checked by a dermatologist before any treatment.
Your questions, answered
When do you offer IPL in Lincoln Park?
From October through April. Summer makes it hard to avoid sun for two weeks around each session, and tanned skin raises the burn risk. If you start in October, a three-session series will be complete well before the sunnier months.
What does my skin look like the week after IPL?
Expect redness for a few hours on day 0. On days 1 to 7, the spots darken and look like coffee grounds, similar to freckles, and then flake off. This darkening is expected, since it’s how the pigment clears. Makeup is fine after day 1.
Can I treat the backs of my hands?
Yes. Hands are on the Lincoln Park IPL menu, and the backs of the hands often show sun damage early. The same guidelines apply as for the face: three to five sessions, no sun for two weeks on either side, and gloves or sunscreen on your hands outdoors afterward.
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