Brown spots on the skin: photos and names

Brown spots on the skin can appear on absolutely any part of the body. Usually they do not hurt or itch, but can cause significant aesthetic discomfort, especially if they appear in open areas of the body: face, neck or arms. In some cases, such manifestations are complicated, they are accompanied by dryness and coarsening of the skin, so they tend to get rid of them. Why are such skin defects manifested? What causes their formation? Is it possible to deal with this? Such questions are asked by the bulk of people who have encountered a similar problem.

Skin pigmentation: what is it? Brown spots on hands, face and neck

The color and shade of human skin determines the concentration of pigmenting substances. The main role here is played by melanin located in the epidermis. A deficiency or excess of this substance leads to the appearance of various age spots of different colors, sizes and shapes.

Such formations can be congenital (birthmarks), and can occur with age. A huge role in the production of melanin is played by ultraviolet: sunbathing in the sun or in a solarium, our skin darkens due to the excessive production of this substance.

Key factors

The main causes of brown spots on the skin are, first of all:

• pregnancy (due to hormonal changes in the female body, increased pigmentation of the skin can be observed);
• fungal skin diseases;
• endocrine disorders in the body;
• gynecological diseases;
• hereditary predisposition;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (especially the liver);
• age-related skin changes.

Spots on the skin of a light brown color most often occur in fair-skinned people and owners of light blond or red hair with blue and green eyes. Such phenomena can be the result of prolonged exposure to the sun.

Species of spots on the skin

Depending on the cause of the appearance, brown skin spots (different shades) are divided into the following types:

1. Freckles. Small light brown spots on the skin appearing on the face, arms, shoulders and back. Most often they appear in fair-skinned people under the influence of the sun in spring and summer. This is the most common form of pigmentation that appears in children, men and women. Such pigmentation serves as a kind of protection for the body from exposure to ultraviolet rays. At the same time, freckles are absolutely safe spots, but for many people they cause some psychological discomfort.
2. Chloasma. During pregnancy, smooth, clearly defined brown spots on the skin may appear (a photo of such formations is presented below). Usually they appear on the face, in the abdomen and hips. Chloasma can occur with prolonged use of hormonal drugs and liver diseases. Sometimes they appear due to the aggressive effects of sunlight.
3. Lentigo.
   
   Smooth or rough to the touch slightly protruding brown spots on the skin. In the photo, as a rule, you can see round or elongated single spots, less often - immediately a group of lentigo. Similar pigmentation is found in people of different ages. However, modern medicine divides such spots into two types: youthful and senile lentigo. Most often occur in open areas of the body as a result of exposure to sunlight, but can also appear on the mucous membranes. This type of pigmentation does not pose a threat to health and is not an indicator of disorders in the body.
4. Birthmarks (nevi). Usually moles are already visible at birth, but very often they appear throughout life. These formations are considered benign. However, under the influence of adverse conditions, they may well develop into malignant. Such brown spots on the skin can be smooth, rough or protruding above the skin. They can be of any shape and located on any part of the body.
5. Melasma Pigmentation sites affecting the scalp. Usually these are spots of brown or light brown in color with an evenly defined contour. Most often, such spots occur in pregnant women or women with gynecological diseases. In addition, melasma occurs due to liver diseases and hormonal disorders.

Health hazard stains

Unfortunately, there are age spots that indicate the occurrence of hazardous processes in the body. One of these manifestations is xeroderma pigmentosa, which is a precancerous condition of the skin. If brown spots on the skin peel off, then it is necessary to consult a specialist regarding the nature of their appearance.

This disease is considered quite rare and appears due to a hereditary predisposition. It appears at the age of 2-3 years and at the same time progresses rapidly.

Melanopathy or, in another way, melanosis is an accumulation of melanin in areas where it should be normal. It has several varieties that arise for various reasons. There is uremic, hepatic, cachetic, endocrine and toxic melanosis. All of them are caused by pathological changes in the body.

In addition, there are dangerous varieties of this disease: chloasma, Becker disease and Dubreux. Only a qualified specialist can determine the variety of brown spots on the skin and the names (the photos shown in medical sources, as well as the symptoms of these diseases are strikingly different).

Another disease associated with the appearance of pigmentation is mastocytosis. The clinical manifestations of this pathology are associated with the appearance in the body of special cells - mast cells. Such a disease is hereditary and manifests itself in the form of flaky and itchy brown spots on the skin.

Diagnostics

If any spots appear on the body, you need to contact a dermatologist in order to establish a diagnosis and prescribe adequate therapy if necessary. In general, age spots usually do not pose a threat to health, but spoil the appearance. However, sometimes they can signal the development of undesirable processes in the body.

Therefore, only after examination, the doctor will be able to determine the type of pigmentation or suggest the appearance of any disease.

If a brown spot appears on the skin that is directly related to external influences (for example, due to prolonged exposure to the sun or mycotic lesions), then its treatment will not be particularly difficult.

Usually, a scraping is taken from the affected area for examination and diagnosis. Additionally, consultations with a gastroenterologist, therapist, and endocrinologist may be recommended.

If the cause of the appearance of such neoplasms lies in the development of pathological conditions within the body (for example, hormonal disorders or diseases of the digestive system), a deeper examination is required and eliminated. After the cure of the disease, pigmented skin lesions will pass by themselves.

Pigmentation: treatment of cosmetic defects on the skin

It is possible to treat and remove suddenly pigmented spots only in specialized clinics and only after examination by a specialist. This is not about harmless freckles. Various nevi, melanosis, chloasma and other dark or light brown spots on the skin (photo in the text) require special treatment and monitoring by a doctor. After all, only a specialist can assess the depth and size of the neoplasm. Moreover, only a professional can exclude the malignant process.

After a full examination, the doctor can decide on a solution. In previous years, a scalpel and aggressive concentrated acids were used for this. Modern medicine offers more gentle and effective methods to eliminate brown spots that appear on the skin.

Beauty treatments

Various methods of mechanical action through chemical peels provide the possibility of sanding the skin layer by layer. This method is quite aggressive, but allows you to effectively remove various cosmetic defects.

Microminiaturization is used when it is necessary to precisely remove deep pigmentation. Such a technique will allow the introduction of existing drugs inside brown spots on the skin using a vacuum.

Mesotherapy is used to even out skin color when light pigmentation appears. This technique also improves skin condition and rejuvenates it.

To remove nevuses and other formations on the skin, laser techniques are widely used that can eliminate cosmetic defects in just one session.

How to remove stains on brown skin using folk methods

Before resorting to the methods and means of traditional medicine, you should consult with a specialist who will determine what the nature of the spots on the skin is brown. Photos on the Internet can not be used for self-diagnosis and subsequent treatment. The recipes below are also suitable for lightening freckles if they cause you discomfort.

1. Mix 2 tablespoons of kefir or sour cream with a few drops of ammonia. Such a composition is applied to the pigmented area and washed off after 10-15 minutes. The procedure is repeated daily for a week.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon of carrot juice with a little sour cream and yolk. This composition is applied to cleansed skin, kept for 5-10 minutes and washed off with cool water. Course - 7-10 procedures.
3. Cucumber juice has a very good whitening effect. It is enough to wipe the skin with a slice of this vegetable. Sometimes the gruel from the grated cucumber is applied with a thin layer on the face and left for 15-20 minutes.
4. Brown spots on the skin of the legs, hands, face or other parts of the body can be removed with lemon. It not only promotes discoloration of pigmentation, but also freshens the skin.
5. Berries of strawberries, currants, viburnum or cherries also help lighten the skin, so they are often used to get rid of age spots. To do this, they are crushed in a blender and mixed or used separately, applied to the affected areas for several minutes.
6. From increased pigmentation of the skin, white cosmetic clay is often used, which helps with other aesthetic defects. Treatment involves a course of 7-10 procedures. You can buy this product in a pharmacy and cosmetic store.
7. A mixture of egg white, cottage cheese and hydrogen peroxide, applied for 10 minutes, gives an amazing whitening effect. After applying such a mask, a tonic compress should be applied to the treated areas.
8. Freckles and other age spots on the skin can be removed using juice or tincture from ordinary parsley. Suitable stems, leaves and roots of greenery, previously ground to a homogeneous mass. Compresses soaked in such a liquid are applied to the affected areas for 15-20 minutes. No less effective effect gives a decoction of currant leaves and parsley with the addition of hydrogen peroxide.
9. A yeast mask also helps lighten, nourish and cleanse the skin. To do this, 1 tablespoon of the product is mixed with the same amount of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, the mixture is applied to the face and kept for 20 minutes. After that, wash off and apply any nourishing cream.

Any home remedy should be applied to pre-cleaned and steamed skin. Procedures should be regular, it is necessary to carry out them until spots completely disappear. It is advisable to carry them out in the evening.

We must not forget that open areas of the body must be protected from exposure to ultraviolet rays. Therefore, before going outside, you need to apply sunscreen on them.

Therapeutic creams and ointments

Bleaching pharmacological agents are applied to the affected areas of the skin and hold for one and a half to two hours, then the therapeutic agent is removed and a nourishing cream is applied. The most commonly used products are Clotrimazole, Ketoconazole, white mercury ointment, zinc paste, bismuth nitrate, benzoic or salicylic acid.

Dermatologists recommend other drugs: 3-5% salicylic alcohol solution, tar and sulfuric ointment, twenty percent emulsion of benzyl benzoate.

In the treatment of a number of skin diseases, the Demyanovich method, developed by a Soviet doctor in 1947 and has not lost its relevance so far, is recommended. To eliminate stains, the affected areas are treated with 60% sodium thiosulfate solution, and then with 6% sulfuric acid solution. The course and treatment regimen is determined by the attending physician.

Any pharmacological agents must be purchased only in specialized places: pharmacies and professional beauty salons.

Stain Prevention

Pigment spots on the face and body can appear under the influence of various factors, so you should think about what preventive measures should be taken to avoid this problem. Many experts for this purpose recommend:

• Enrich your daily diet with foods high in vitamin C.
• Limit the intake of food in which vitamin A is present, as it contributes to a change in skin tone.
• At any time of the year, and especially in the spring-summer period, it is imperative to use sunscreens.
• Limit exposure to the sun during its increased activity (from 10:00 to 16:00).
• Regularly carry out skin whitening procedures (washing with sour milk, using lemon and cucumber juice).

The appearance of light or dark brown spots on the skin is an unpleasant phenomenon that can spoil the appearance of a person. To date, there are many cosmetics and methods of traditional medicine that eliminate this defect. Compliance with simple recommendations and rules for skin care will help prevent or completely get rid of unwanted stains and keep your attractiveness for a long time.