The Best Ways to Get Rid of Brown and Red Spots

Brown and red spots on your skin can be annoying, although they’re often not dangerous. You might develop brown spots with age or from being in the sun. Red spots, which can appear for many reasons, may not hurt or change, while some might be swollen, itchy, or painful. If you’re wondering how to get rid of spots, the following skin care tips may help:

Creams and Lotions

There are many skin creams and lotions on the market. Purchased in stores without a prescription, skin lightening creams can help, but check the ingredients to make sure there’s nothing harmful, such as mercury. A dermatologist in Covina can also prescribe a more effective, safer cream, so a doctor’s visit may be the solution to healthier-looking skin.

Some simple remedies you can try at home include:

Lemon Juice

Apply just one or two tablespoons to a cotton pad and apply directly to the spots. The acid in the juice can break down pigments causing brown spots, although it may take a month or two. Leave it on for a few minutes, or you can apply lemon slices directly for 30 minutes and rinse off with water. Lemon juice can cleanse your skin too, which helps red spots caused by acne.

Plant Enzymes

Enzymes are powerful substances that can break down melanin. By breaking up proteins, they can turn melanin into colorless components. To take advantage of this property, you can:

• Grate a potato, mix with honey, and apply
• Mash up a papaya and make a mask out of it
• Apply pineapple juice directly to brown spots
• Boil chickpeas until soft and rub the paste on spots

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera leaves have a gel inside. To access this gel, break the leaf in half and put it in an airtight container for storage. Once it’s applied directly to red spots, massage the gel into your skin for a minute or two and leave it there for 20-30 minutes before rinsing with water. Repeated twice a day, this can treat skin irritation and provides antioxidants and healing properties.

Other compounds that can reduce red spots include coconut oil, cocoa butter, and dandelion root. Dandelion root powder can be mixed into a tea, which improves liver function and detoxifies your body. A healthy diet, reduced sun exposure, and regular exfoliation can help as well.

Dark spots may be reduced with:

Plain Yogurt

The acids in yogurt can lighten dark spots, while bacteria in yogurt have enzymes that can break down melanin. Just rub the yogurt onto dark spots and wait until it dries, and then rinse with water. You can also mix yogurt with antioxidant- and bioflavonoid-containing herbs such as mustard powder, Aloe Vera gel, or turmeric/curcumin powder.

Vitamin E

Take a liquid capsule, break it open, and apply it directly to dark spots. Allow the vitamin E to soak in. Its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and healing properties can leave your skin looking clearer.

Personalized Medical Treatment

A dermatologist can treat skin spots with prescription treatments. Be sure to see a health care professional if any spots become asymmetric, larger, develop uneven borders, or change color or shape, as this can be a sign of cancer.

Other treatment options include laser therapy. It can treat age and other spots quickly while providing longer-lasting results. To decide the best option for you, consult with LDI’s dermatologist in Covina for skin care tips and personalized treatments to get rid of brown and red spots.