Preventing darkening of “sun spots” with self tanner – is there a solution?

Dr. Irwin
July 28, 2013
Hello Doctor Irwin Trie everything for lower arms sun damage, has faded a bit with Obagi Sunfader and much use of rubbing fresh lemon juice 2 times daily but when I use a fake tan freckles come up dark brown ..is there any solution for fading sun damage in order to use fake tan with a nice result@ thanks a lot Liz

Well, there’s not a perfect solution but there IS improvement and here’s why. Some sun damage spots (lentigoes) are just those completely flat tan or brown spots and if you run a finger over them you can’t feel ANY texture change. Other sun damage spots are just barely rough or rough. If there’s any question about these, see your dermatologist first. The rough or very slightly rough ones have a thicker outer dead skin layer – the stratum corneum. And, it absorbs self tanner unevenly and more.

 

If you want to improve this, you have to smooth that dead layer with weekly use of a body scrub and a daily body lotion that thins and smooths it like Amlactin (drugstore) or a Neostrata Body Lotion 10% with glycolic. I also like the SkinCeuticals Face, Neck and Hand product for this. If that fails, then you will need a laser treatment, liquid nitrogen or peel done by an experienced dermatologist.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Dr. I

 

Learn more about anti aging products by reading our article about sun damage repair creams.

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
  • This site is not affiliated or financially tied to any product, treatment or device.
Ask Me Something
SkinTour Skincare
One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!
Browse Shop