Often, patients elect to have these spots removed with our Q-switched Alexandrite (AlexTriVantage™) laser or our picosecond laser system (PicoWay®). These devices specifically target the brown color of the unwanted lesions.

The laser is placed from spot to spot, where it briefly flashes a light on the skin. Microscopically, the extra pigment within the brown lesions “shatters” and the body then reabsorbs it, lightening the spots.

Alternatively, sun spots (lentigines) may be just one feature of sun-damaged skin, and the patient may elect to undergo laser resurfacing instead. Several devices are available in the CDLC to rejuvenate the skin, producing improvement in not only sun spots, but also wrinkles and other textural problems.

Rather than targeting specific lesions, resurfacing procedures are applied over an entire portion of the skin’s surface (the entire face, for example) and are intended to blend texture and produce more uniform color.

Many people develop brown lesions of their skin from chronic sun exposure, time, and other factors. These can appear on the face, hands, upper chest, and other locations and tend to make the skin look prematurely old.

Treatment for sun spots at U-M Health is offered by two expert clinical teams: 

• Cosmetic Dermatology & Laser Center
• Center for Facial Cosmetic Surgery

Each pigmented lesion will temporarily darken for a few days before becoming progressively lighter.