How to Remove Brown Spots on the Face

Brown spots on the face often signify skin aging. The spots, also known as age spots, can appear in various shades of brown to black or even gray. Other names for age spots include sun spots, solar lentigines, senile lentigo, or liver spots.

Brown spots on the face are not considered significant health concerns. Instead, they are cosmetic and an indicator that skin has aged. Brown spots most commonly appear on areas that experience sun exposure, such as the face, shoulders, forearms, and upper back.

Most people find that while it is almost impossible to remove brown spots, several treatments, in addition to certain home remedies, can do the trick to reduce appearance.

Causes of Brown Age Spots

Brown age spots develop due to excessive melanin, which is also known as skin pigmentation. The causes of spots still aren’t known, but the most possible contributing factors are skin aging, UV light exposure, and direct sunlight.

These spots are most often seen in areas of the body with lots of sun exposure, especially your face. Areas of the body where brown spots can occur include the shoulders and back of the shoulders, forearms, and the upper back area.

Any gender, race, or age, develops these brown spots. However, there are some risk factors like:

• Having fair skin
• Having or had significant sun exposure
• Having or had frequent tanning bed use
• Having crossed 40 years of age

How to Remove Brown Spots from the Face

Although it is not feasible to eliminate brown spots from the body entirely, some treatments and remedies may help lighten the pigment and fade the look of the spots. Most of the time, brown age spots do not require any treatment since they do not produce health issues.

Below, we have listed some of the main treatments to help reduce brown spots in the body. 

Prescribed Medicines

The condition might sometimes require consulting a doctor. They often prescribe bleaching creams to minimize the spots. The drugs are mostly hydroquinone, with or without retinoids. These creams might take a few months to produce noticeable results regarding the reduction of age spots.

However, one should be aware that using bleaching creams makes your skin sensitive to UV damage. It is, therefore, necessary to use sunscreen daily during treatment. 

Medical Procedures

Many types of medical treatments can remove brown spots. However, such treatment causes some side effects and complications. Before undergoing any medical procedure, consult your doctor to remove brown spots from your face. Some of the common medical treatments for getting rid of age spots include:

• Laser treatment to eliminate skin cells that produce melanin
• Chemical treatments that remove the outer layer of skin
• Dermabrasion, which also removes the outermost layer of the skin
• Cryosurgery, freezing of age spots with the help of liquid nitrogen

Home Remedies for Brown Spots on Face

Many of the natural home remedies work to fade away the brown spots from your face. Here, we have given some of the best home remedies you can try.

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is an effective remedy that has been used for many skin and hair issues. Aloe vera helps to fade brown spots on the face, especially the sun-borne ones.

Extract fresh aloe vera gel and apply it directly on the brown spots. Leave it on for a few minutes, and then rinse it with warm water. For best effects, use this treatment at least twice daily.

2. Buttermilk

Buttermilk is an excellent exfoliant for the skin. It removes skin blemishes and fades brown spots while keeping the skin moist.

Dip a cotton ball in buttermilk and dab it right onto the brown spots. Keep it on for some time, then clean it off with lukewarm water. You can even complement its effects by adding a few drops of lemon juice to the buttermilk.

For best results, try mixing buttermilk with tomato juice.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is known to provide various skin benefits and can treat several issues with the skin, including brown spots. It works by helping dry out the brown spots.

Take equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water. Apply it to the brown spots and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water.

4. Castor Oil

Castor oil has anti-inflammatory and healing properties that help reduce brown spots as well as other age spots.

Dip a cotton ball in castor oil and apply it to the brown spots. Leave it on for 2–3 hours. For best results, you can also mix castor oil with vitamin E oil, almond oil, or coconut oil.

Repeat this treatment every night before going to bed.

5. Horseradish

Apart from removing brown spots, horseradish is also helpful in whitening the skin because of its bleaching properties.

Prepare a paste of horseradish and apply it to your brown spots. Leave it for 10–15 minutes before washing it off with water. Repeat this treatment 3 times a week or till the brown spots reduce considerably.

6. Sandalwood

Sandalwood has anti-aging and antiseptic properties, making it a perfect ingredient in various creams that remove brown spots. You can use sandalwood oil or mix it with other beneficial oils such as almond oil or olive oil.

You can also mix sandalwood with lemon or orange juice. The presence of vitamin E helps keep the skin firm and prevents sagging. Mix it up with sandalwood and lemon or orange juice, apply it to your face, and leave it there for at least 30 minutes before rinsing it off with water.

How to Prevent Age Spots

Brown spots or freckles on the face and body cannot completely be removed or avoided. However, you can decrease the likelihood of their development as follows:

• Avoid sun exposure between 10 am and 3 pm.
• Apply full-spectrum sunscreen containing both UVB and UVA protection, with a Sun Protection Factor of at least 15.
• Apply sunscreen least 30 minutes before exposure to the sun, and re-apply every two hours or more frequently if swimming or sweating.
• Use protective garments such as pants, hats, or long-sleeved shirts to protect your skin against damaging ultraviolet rays. You can also wear clothes with UPF 40 or UPF 50 which are UV blocking.

Conclusion

Brown spots on the face, also known as age spots, are a natural part of aging and occur largely due to sun exposure and skin aging. Even though these spots do not threaten your health, they become very bothersome.

It is not always possible to completely remove these brown spots, several treatments and remedies help reduce their appearance.

Everything from prescription medications and treatments to home remedies that include buttermilk, castor oil, and aloe vera can help fade brown spots.

Practicing sun protection and avoiding excessive direct sun exposure can significantly keep new spots from forming.

By following these steps, people can control and reduce the visibility of brown spots, making their skin healthier and more attractive.

• July 2017
  Written by Somapika D
• May 2024
  Edited by Lakshmi Gayatri