Dark spots on your face may not do any physical harm but can take a toll on your confidence. To get rid of them at the earliest, you may start applying several creams or serums, but this in turn at times worsens the condition.

Renowned dermatologist, Dr Aanchal Panth explains the five common mistakes that people must avoid if they are having dark spots on their face. 

But before that, let’s learn about the causes of dark spots.

Cause of Dark Spots on Face

1. Melasma: It is a common skin condition that causes dark, discoloured patches on your skin, typically on forehead, cheeks and lips.

2. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: This pigmentation results from injuries such as cuts and scrapes or inflammatory skin conditions such as acne. This condition is characterised by dark pigmented patches of skin that form as part of the healing process.

3. Freckles: These are light to dark brown spots that appear when melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour, builds up under the skin. Freckles mostly develop in areas that are often exposed to sun.

4. Pigmentary demarcation lines: These are abrupt transition lines from areas of deeper skin colour to areas with lighter colour. They may appear as black spots near eyes or lips.

What all you should avoid 

1. Using too many actives: Using too many products on your face is going to worsen the dark spots. Dr Panth recommends using only one-two serums/creams if you have dark spots – one in the morning and the other at night. She says the more products you will use, higher will be the chances of irritation and thus spots will further darken. 

2. Not using sunscreen: Never skip sunscreen as this can slow down the process of fading dark spots. Moreover, as sun exposure is the main reason for worsening dark spots, hence applying sunscreen is a must. Also, using it in the proper amount is very important. Dr Panth suggests using two finger-lengths of sunscreen on the entire face and reapplying it after every two hours. In case, you apply make-up, you must go for spray sunscreen or compact powder containing SPF. In this way, your make-up will remain intact, and you will also get sun protection. 

3. Over-exfoliation: Using too many home-based peels to exfoliate your skin can also increase the number of dark spots. Chemical peels like salicylic acid peel, glycolic acid peel and lactic acid peel that are easily available in the market are good for treating dark spots, but their excessive use can worsen the condition. Your skin might look bright and fresh when you use them, but over-exfoliation can cause redness, dryness, itching and increase the prominence of dark spots.

Dr Panth says if you have dry skin, then you should use a chemical peel only once a month. And if you have oily skin, you can use it once a week or twice a month. She further suggests using only 1% or 2% glycolic acid serum on the face as higher concentration of acid can irritate the skin. 

Before trying any chemical or home-based peel to treat your dark spots, it is better to consult a dermatologist to know whether the product will suit your skin or not.

4. Not repairing skin barrier: If you have a lot of redness on your skin or it remains dry and flaky even after applying moisturiser, this means your skin barrier has been damaged. In this condition your skin is unable to retain moisture and dark spots worsen.

To repair this barrier and prevent dry skin, you should use a proper moisturiser which contains ingredients like Shea butter, Ceramides, Niacinamide, Pantothenol and Bisabolol.

5. Irritating home remedies: Many believe that home remedies are very good for the skin and have no side effects, but this is not always the case. Home remedies can also irritate your skin and make dark spots worse. Dr Panth says that home remedies can’t treat the underlying skin concerns, they can only moisturise or mildly exfoliate your skin. Moreover, using ingredients like orange juice, orange peel, lemon and besan, can irritate your skin.

These are the five common mistakes that people make to lighten their dark spots but it further worsens their skin. If you want to get rid of dark spots, it’s always advised to consult a dermatologist who can prescribe you the best treatment as per your skin type.

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