The best option for brown spots on the arms and legs.

Dr. Irwin
May 12, 2014
Hi Dr. Irwin, Can you please discuss the stronger options for dealing with brown spots on arms and legs? (per your answer to a May 4th question) I've used glycolic lotions and would like to know the next step. Thank you.

The sun damage and resulting brown spots and blotchiness that many of us have, can be improved considerably, including our arms and legs.

But………….first:

  • Don’t do any more damage which means protective clothing and good quality sunscreens!  Why waste your time and money on repair if you don’t protect?
  • Realize this is  slower process than you would like – it won’t be instant;
  • Keep the body skin healthy with a gentle scrub once or twice a month, and good quality lotion every day after your bath or shower.

In my opinion, the Fraxel Dual works best for this problem.  You need to go to a laser center that is experienced in treating the body with this laser though!!  Body skin, especially the lower leg, heals differently and much more slowly than the face.  Healing times are  longer on the body and it’s important to plan for that.   If the face is approximately 1 wk, neck and chest are 10-14 days, arms about 2 weeks, and legs about 3 weeks.   You must stay out of the sun for about a 4-6 weeks after having this type of laser treatment.  More on Fraxel Dual.

Hope this helps,   Dr. I

 

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