From what I have read there is really no creams that will lighten or make brown spots disappear. I think you might have to get laser treatment to remove them.

I had a large brown spot on my forehead and one on my cheek. My Derm recommended Obagi blender. You mix a pea-sized dot with the prescribed strength of Retin-a. It takes a month or so, but you can't even tell where my spots were. I still use the Blender a couple of times a week to keep my tone even.

It was definitely worth the Derm visit.

That is interesting cattyles. When I inquired about a brown spot on my shoulder, I was told only laser would remove. Mine was raised though so maybe that was the difference.

I was going to start this same thread! Mine are getting worse and you should see the pics of my grandmother!!! Yikes.

Some of them might be able to be frozen off at the dermatologist. Good idea to see one anyways to get them checked out.

Mine were flat, RoseAbbey. The active ingredient in Blender is hydoquinone, which has been removed from many products. But for me, it was the only thing that was effective. As a matter of fact, my Derm couldn't sell it here in Texas for a while.

There are still products with hydroquinone. Porcelana is one and another called Nadinola. I've never tried them but I am tempted. .

I get something from a cosmetic surgeon called Peel and Bleach cream, that I use every night. It's got Retin-A and not sure what else. It has definitely made a difference in evening my skin tone, which was never great to begin with.

Do these creams cause peeling since Retin-A is included?

Funny you bring this up. I just had one lasered on Thursday. When I asked the dermatologist about it, she said that creams will lighten it but any exposure to sun will make it eventually come back. I might have tried the cream first if my spot wasn't in a prominent place, but it is smack dab in the middle of my cheek. I decided it was worth it to get the laser done ($150 for me). I can't tell the results yet as she said it takes a week or so before it eventually flakes off. She also gave me a cream sample that she said is awesome, but I don't have it handy to see the name. It's now for age spot removal but supposed to help with aging skin in general.

4kids4us - did you just have the one? would it be $150 each? I have three rather large ones. I am going to call the derm to check on the new one that just popped up as I am past due for a body check anyway ( I have had melanoma) but I am worried about this new one on my face! I don't mind the divets (biopsies) all over everywhere else, but on my face I am a bit worried!

Allison, the Obagi system does involve peeling, if you haven't used it before. I had been using Retin-A for quite a while, so didn't have to go through the peeling stage.

When I had mine lasered, the charge was for a 15 minute time period, not each spot, so she lasered a couple of other moles I had besides the one that really bothered me on my shoulder. I can still see a slight discoloration where it was done. I had mine done a year ago so the discoloration is permanent.

Thanks. I have never used, so thought it would. No age spots on my face yet, but I'm sure they're lurking.

Boop, here it is $150 for a treatment (entire face).

Retin-A will help. Many people will work up to the needed strength so you might have dryness, but shouldn't have peeling. I actually had a sun spot the the left of my eye and as soon as I noticed I used retinal (which is not even as strong as Retin-A) and you cannot see the spot now. I think my dermatologist told me Retin-A will lighten but not remove. But if it lightens enough that I can't see it - that's fine with me. I now always wear sunscreen on my face. This spot was not a raised spot. (FWIW, I used a higher strength of retinal bought through my derm, not an over-the-counter strength.)

Also, if it's a new spot and depending on the shade of your skin, a chemical peel can often get rid of it.

I've had a few and have used the fade cream from the drug store and it absolutely DOES WORK! At least it did on the ones I've used it on. I'm pretty sure the name of the product was Porcelana or it may have been a generic, can't remember exactly.

Boop, I only had the one spot so I didn't think to ask about how the pricing worked - like is it $150 for the visit, for one spot, or as someone else mentioned, for a specific time period.

arkansas, I can only speak for the spot on my face and what my dermatologist told me. I never said it doesn't work, she told me it would certainly fade but it would eventually come back in the same spot. Because I am regularly out in the sun, and the spot is on my cheek, even though I always use sunscreen, I decided to pay the money for permanent removal. It certainly wouldn't have hurt for me to try creams, but I just wanted it gone as quickly as possible b/c it is so prominent and I was tired of seeing it in every photograph. Obviously it's a personal choice and can't hurt to give creams a try.

4kids, it was someone else that said creams don't work.

I get Photofacials otherwise known as iPL treatments 2x a year. There's so many benefits to them. One is it gets rid of brown spots caused by sun damage. Has anyone tried them. They are a little pricey but I usually buy them when one a Cosmetic Surgeon in my area runs a special.

Yes, I have had IPL treatments and they do help! I am in need of another round. I found mine through a Groupon and it was with a very nice skincare office.

Sometimes you need more than one IPL treatment depending on how much sun damage you have. I needed 2 initially spaced 1 month apart since I had so many brown spots. It's amazing to see brown spots lift off. I know people who have had IPL done on their hands and chest. It also gets rid of spider veins.

If you apply the highest # skincare cream everyday day before you go out, will they still come back? Just curious.

jerseygirl - where did you get them? are you in jersey? is there a place you recommend? (I am hoping in north jersey :) )

Just when I was worried whether my laser treatment worked, my spot flaked right off today! She said it would look a little bruised initially, then turn dry and flaky, then would eventually flake off. Mine was a little red underneath afterward, but the spot never looked bruised, still was the same brown color. This morning it seemed a little dry, but still looked the same, but then all of a sudden it just flaked off like she said! Now I need to keep it protected from the sun, which of course is bad timing as I'm leaving on Saturday for Southern California for a week!

Boop, I am in SJ. I use the Hughes Aesthetic Center in Cherry Hill. Photofacials also get rid of the tiny veins by your nostrils.

OK that is pretty far jerseygirl. DH was singing that song to me this morning. after all these years he still loves my accent (although I really don't think I have one :) ) that is great about the veins. I was wondering about that. I have rosacea too. lucky me. I was wondering if they could still do it and if it might help that. I thought I had read about it treating that too.

I can't believe this spot on my cheek just popped up out of nowhere :(

Do you need to stay home if you have this? I guess I mean do you look like a freak :) or can you go right back to work? I could work from home if I had to probably, but not sure what I would say!

4kids, since you just had a treatment, do you have a moisturizer and/or a foundation that contains sunscreen? I have both now and find it really helps. I wear a tinted moisturizer (Revision) that contains spf-45 and my daily moisturizer also contains I think it's spf-25. That & a hat when you're outside should help you thru the day in So Cal! Have fun!

Outside, I have both a a tinted moisturizer (Neutrogena) and a tinted sunscreen that I love (Elta). I put them on every morning, but realistically, they should be reapplied during the day if I'm going to be in the sun, so I'll just need to remember. While I won't be lying on the beach, I will be outside much of each day. Going on a week of college tours with my oldest! And I've never ever been a hat person, sadly. I wish I was but I'm terribly self-conscious about wearing a hat, so the only time I do is when I'm actually at the beach or pool.

Boop, I'lm not sure which procedure your question is directed to, but I'm assuming you mean the Photofacial? I looked it up as I've never heard of it, and saw a video that a woman posted showing how she looked before, immediately after and then the following day. Her face was red and splotchy the first day, but she looked normal the next day. As for the laser treatment I had for my one spot, I didn't look like a freak. In fact, I thought it would be worse based on how the dermatologist described it. She said it would turn purpleish and look like a bruise b/f becoming flaky eventually and then fall off. Mine never changed color - it was slightly red around the edges, but the spot stayed brown. Then all of a sudden it was dry/flaky, and just came right off yesterday. Mine was about the size of the eraser on top of a pencil and right smack dab in the middle of my cheek, so very noticeable. I was worried i'd need to cover it up in the days afterward, but I didn't need to.

Boop, there is no down time. I never had bruising. It takes care of damage for the entire face. Brown marks get darker and basically fall off within a few days. Easily covered by make up if needed. Not sure what Out is describing. I never saw purple nor was I red. Actually my skin felt great. It has allowed me to go foundation less everyday. It does get rid of Rosacea. It can be a little uncomfortable.