You catch your reflection in good daylight, tilt your face towards the window, and there they are. A scatter of flat brown marks across the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, the backs of the hands. They were not there in your twenties, and no amount of concealer quite lifts them. At MediZen, the doctor-led aesthetic clinic in Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, sun spots and age spots are one of the most common reasons people book a skin consultation, and the good news is that they respond beautifully to the right approach. Our pigmentation treatment in Birmingham starts by working out exactly what you are looking at, because not all brown marks are the same, and the difference decides everything.
What sun spots and age spots actually are
Sun spots and age spots are two names for the same thing. Doctors call them solar lentigines. They are flat, well-defined patches of extra pigment that appear on skin that has taken years of sun, most often the face, the chest, the shoulders and the backs of the hands. They are not raised, they do not itch, and they are entirely harmless. What they represent is a memory. Every summer, every holiday, every walk without a hat has been quietly recorded by the pigment-producing cells in your skin, and a sun spot is simply the point where those cells have clustered and switched on.
The reason this matters is that a sun spot behaves very differently from other kinds of brown mark, particularly melasma, which we will come to. Understanding the type is the whole game, and it is why a proper assessment comes before any treatment plan at MediZen.
Why they appear when they do
Ultraviolet light is the single biggest driver. When UV hits the skin, it stimulates cells called melanocytes to produce melanin, the brown pigment that gives us a tan. A tan is meant to fade, but with repeated exposure over years the pigment starts to settle in fixed, concentrated spots that no longer clear on their own. That is why they tend to surface from the late thirties onwards, and why they are so much heavier on the areas we forget to protect, such as the tops of the hands and the outer cheeks.
- Cumulative sun exposure over many years, including everyday commuting light
- Sunbed use, which delivers concentrated UV directly to the skin
- Fair skin that burns rather than tans, which is more prone to spotting
- Age, as the skin becomes less efficient at clearing settled pigment
How we treat sun spots at MediZen
Genuine sun spots are one of the most satisfying marks to treat, because the pigment sits in a defined patch and responds well to light-based technology. Our vascular and pigment laser, the excel V+ laser in Birmingham, delivers a precise wavelength of energy that is absorbed by the excess melanin in the spot. The pigment heats, breaks up, and is gradually cleared by the body over the following days. The surrounding skin is left alone.
In practice, a treated sun spot often darkens for a few days, almost like a light coffee-ground fleck, then flakes away as the skin renews. Many people see a clear improvement after one or two sessions, though the exact number depends on how many marks you have and how deep the pigment sits. Everything is decided at consultation, and because MediZen is a doctor-led clinic overseen by Dr David Eccleston, your skin is properly examined first rather than treated on sight.
The one exception: melasma is not the same
This is the part that catches people out. Melasma looks superficially similar, larger, blotchy areas of brown or grey-brown pigment, often across the cheeks, forehead or upper lip. It is driven by hormones and heat as much as by sunlight, and it behaves in the opposite way to a sun spot. Heat and laser energy tend to provoke melasma and can make it worse, not better.
For that reason we never reach for laser on melasma. It is managed instead with medical-grade skincare, gentle chemical peels and, above all, disciplined sun protection. This is exactly why a spot of pigment should never be treated without a diagnosis. Getting the two mixed up is the most common mistake in pigmentation, and avoiding it is one of the clearest benefits of seeing a medical team.
Protecting your results with SPF
Clearing a sun spot is only half the work. The cells that made it are still there, and if you go back into strong sun without protection, new pigment will simply build again. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen is the single most powerful thing you can do to keep your skin clear, worn all year round and not only on sunny holidays. The NHS has straightforward guidance on sunscreen and sun safety that is well worth a read. Think of SPF as the maintenance that protects everything you have invested in.
Frequently asked
Will the sun spots come back after treatment? The treated spots are cleared for good, but your skin can form new ones if it is exposed to more UV. Consistent sunscreen and sensible sun habits keep results looking their best for years.
How do I know if my marks are sun spots or something else? You do not need to know before you come in. That is what the consultation is for. We examine the skin, identify the type of pigment, and only then recommend a route, whether that is laser for true sun spots or a gentler plan if melasma is involved.
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