We touched a touch on tone (ahhh…alliteration) earlier in the week, but don’t you think that those tyrants of tone perfection deserves a touch more attention than that? We do too.

In our newest series, we’re going to be taking a magnified look at the major discolorations and disfigurements (Ah!) associated with aging and a less-than-glowy complexion. From age-spots to acne scarring, from melasma to the dreaded under-eye circles – we’ll review the ‘who, what, where, why and how-the-hell-do-I-get-rid-of-them’ of what’s keeping you from youthful complexion perfection. And while we can’t promise a time machine, we can let you know what’s latest and greatest in the arsenal of your number #1 skincare hero: your dermatologist.

This week, we’ll start with age spots (also known as liver spots) – is there no elegant way to say this? Age spots are brown splotches typically resulting from blatantly allowing your skin to be defiled by the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. When it comes to chronic sun damage, the dermis really has no other choice than to react by producing more melanin, which then mysteriously clusters, leaving you with an ever-lasting brown spot.

And while, yes… you’ve probably brought this on yourself by ignoring my SPF harpings… this is one sin that you may be able to, if not reverse, at least hide. Your first stop at age spot eradication station: Retinoids.

Retinoids like Retin-A and Renova are vitamin A derivatives that disperse pigment and speed up cell turnover. Used in collaboration with other pigment fighters (with ingredients like kojic acid), this one two combo can start to show results in as little as six to eight weeks.


More serious spots can also be addressed by a little laser-therapy. The ever-popular KTP laser is used by many derms on individual spots due to it’s ability to target melanin. The drawbacks are that you may end up with a light scab over the treated area and require a number of treatments depending on how dark the spot is—but it might be worth it to see that unsightly spot disappear. Treatments typically start at around $450 per – a small price to pay for the privilege of spouting Lady Macbeth’s infamous line?

For sun damage over larger areas, your dermatologist might use Intense Pulsed Light lasers. These sci-fi wonders emit multiple wavelengths that target various shades of red and brown and over time fade them into oblivion. Between four and six treatments, each at around $400 should do the trick and produce the desired fading effect on those pesky skin discolorations.

Now go on. Say it with me. You know you want to. Out! Out damn spot!

Next up: Under Eye Circles.