Dark spots are the second most common reason women see a cosmetologist, after lines. They are also the one concern where trying to sort it out alone regularly ends with the spot getting darker. So let us begin not with methods, but with the thing articles on pigmentation mention least often.
Why skin darkens in patches
Skin colour comes from melanin, a pigment produced by cells called melanocytes. Normally they work evenly. When one area of skin gets a signal to work harder, melanin gathers locally — and that is a spot.
The signal most often comes from ultraviolet light: a tan is itself a protective response, one that simply switches on unevenly in damaged or sensitive skin. The second common cause is inflammation — a spot left behind by a breakout, a scratch or a procedure gone wrong. The third is hormonal change, which tends to produce pigmentation in symmetrical patches.
What comes up most often
- Sun spots — on the face, hands and décolleté, where skin has taken more light over the years
- Post-inflammatory pigmentation — dark marks where a breakout healed, familiar to anyone who has had acne
- Hormonal pigmentation — usually symmetrical, on the cheeks, forehead or upper lip; cosmetology only works here alongside medical supervision
- Freckles — a genetic trait rather than a flaw: they are not “treated”, though they can be made less noticeable
Why creams disappoint
A lightening cream acts at the surface and affects existing pigment slowly. It can even out tone a little, but it does not cancel the cause: melanocytes keep working and ultraviolet keeps prompting them. Hence the familiar story — “used it for six months, it faded slightly, and it was back by the end of summer”.
What a clinic actually does
Cosmetology works with pigment in two fundamentally different ways: breaking up melanin deposits directly, and speeding up skin renewal so that pigmented cells clear faster.
Light-based treatment
At RE/FACE that means the BBI MULA device, built on broadband Super IPL light. Interchangeable filters send the energy specifically into melanin — into the pigment itself — without disturbing the surrounding tissue the way resurfacing does. A course is usually 2–6 sessions, 2–4 weeks apart, with no downtime; a session takes up to 30 minutes.
Peels
Acids accelerate renewal of the outer layer, so pigmented cells shed faster and tone evens out. Peels do well with surface and post-inflammatory pigmentation and often work alongside light treatment rather than instead of it. Which formula and what depth is the doctor's decision: in skin prone to pigmentation, an aggressive peel can make matters worse.
Without sun protection there is no result
This is not fine print — it is half the work. Ultraviolet restarts melanin production, and skin fresh from a course responds to it more readily than usual. SPF afterwards is the condition on which the result holds, not a suggestion for later. Your doctor will name the products and the routine at the appointment, allowing for your skin type and the season.
Common questions
Can dark spots be removed in one session?
As a rule, no. Pigment sits unevenly and at different depths, so the work is done as a course: on the BBI MULA device that is typically 2–6 sessions, 2–4 weeks apart. A promise to clear pigmentation in one go is a reason to be wary, not pleased.
Why not simply use a lightening cream?
A cream acts at the surface and affects pigment that has already formed only slowly. It may lighten a spot a little, but it does not cancel the cause — melanocytes keep working and ultraviolet keeps prompting them. Some aggressive lightening products bought online also backfire and irritate skin when used incorrectly. A cream makes sense as part of a plan set by a doctor, not as self-treatment.
Will the pigmentation come back?
It can, if what caused it is still there. Ultraviolet restarts melanin production, which is why SPF after a course is a condition of the result rather than a suggestion. If pigmentation is linked to hormones or to medication, your doctor will say so at the examination — in that case cosmetology alone will not settle the question.
Can pigment be treated in summer?
Your doctor decides case by case: strong sun and a fresh tan change how skin responds. Work on pigment is often planned for the low-sun season, with summer given over to maintenance and protection. The precise answer for your skin comes at the consultation.
How is a dark spot different from a mole?
Not always by eye — which is exactly why we ask that a doctor sees it first. Moles and other skin growths belong to dermatology, not cosmetology: they are not treated with light or resurfaced. RE/FACE has a dermatologist consultation from ₽3,000; if the examination shows the lesion is a cosmetic matter after all, the doctor will say so.