“Oh no! I’m getting sunspots! Where do these come from, and what can I do about them?” If you’ve ever said something like that to yourself, no worries! This article can help you alleviate some of those concerns about the little brown dots on your face.
Where do sunspots come from?
It’s exactly what you guessed—the sun. “Sunspots are a result of sun damage over the years, especially previous sunburns,” says Chelsea Schmitt, advanced practice esthetician and ultherapist from Posh Facial Esthetics. Now that you know that, you might be thinking, “That’s easy! I just have to protect myself from the sun and prevent getting sunburned, right?” Right!
How can I prevent sunspots?
It’s simple! Just use sunscreen and reapply every two hours. If you’re one of those people who says things like, “I’ll only be out for a short time,” or “I’ll be fine,” or “I don’t normally get burned,” just put SPF on anyway. It’s a short-term task for long-term gain. “We also recommend wearing hats, sitting in the shade, utilizing good skin care products and being preventative with skin care treatments,” Schmitt says. Your skin is the only skin you have, so take good care of it!
Are sunspots normal?
Yes. Unless you live underground and never come to the surface, you will be exposed to the sun, and it will result in sun damage over time. Keep in mind that most sun damage comes from doing daily activities. Walking out to the mailbox and driving in the car will do more damage to your skin than going to the beach. Try finding makeup and a daily facial moisturizer that already has SPF in it. Once you include SPF into your daily skin care routine, protecting your skin from sun damage becomes easier. But is the SPF in makeup enough?
What can I do moving forward?
“Always, always, ALWAYS wear SPF and not just the SPF in your makeup,” says Schmitt. “That is not enough to keep you protected.” Schmitt also recommends incorporating a retinol into your skin care regimen and/or a chemical peel, which are offered at Posh.
The bottom line is that everyone gets sunspots, but lucky for us, they are easy to prevent! With only a few simple products and a little effort, we can save our skin from the sun.
