Medically reviewed by Dr. Alicia Atkins
Last reviewed: June 2026
Sun spots on the skin often come from years of ultraviolet exposure. But not every discolored area has the same cause. This DermOnDemand guide uses advice from Dr. Alicia Atkins.
It explains how these spots form. It also explains how they differ in terms of lesions. It covers treatment and prevention options that may help.
Key Takeaways
- Sunspots are flat, usually harmless areas of excess pigment caused by cumulative ultraviolet exposure.
- White, red, rough, changing, or bleeding spots may have another cause and should not be assumed to be ordinary sunspots.
- Treatment options include topical products, chemical peels, cryotherapy, laser treatment, and light-based procedures, but results and side effects vary.
- Broad-spectrum sunscreen, protective clothing, shade, and avoiding tanning beds can help prevent new spots and limit further darkening.
- Photos may support an initial review, but suspicious or unclear lesions may require an in-person examination, dermoscopy, or biopsy.
What Are Sunspots on Skin?
Sunspots are harmless areas of increased pigmentation that develop after repeated exposure to ultraviolet light. Doctors call them solar lentigines. Many people call them age spots or liver spots, though they are not linked to liver disease.
What Sun Spots Look Like
A typical spot is flat, brown, tan, or dark, with a clear border. The spots may be round, oval, or irregular, and they usually do not hurt, itch, or feel raised.
Sun Spots on the Face and Arms
Sun spots on the face often appear on the cheeks, forehead, nose, and temples. They also form on skin that is often exposed to the sun, including the hands, forearms, shoulders, chest, and upper back.
What Causes Sun Spots?
Sunspots develop when ultraviolet light causes pigment-producing cells to become more active. Over time, excess melanin accumulates in small areas, creating visible dark spots.
UV Spots and Melanin Changes
The term UV spots refers to pigment changes caused by ultraviolet light from sunlight or artificial tanning devices. Both UVA and UVB contribute to skin damage, although they affect the skin in different ways.
Age, Skin Tone, and Genetics
Sunspots become more common with age because UV damage builds up over many years. They can occur in all skin types, but their color and visibility may vary depending on natural pigmentation, tanning history, and inherited traits.
Sunburns and Tanning Beds
Repeated sunburns increase cumulative damage, especially when they occur early in life. Tanning beds expose the skin to strong UV radiation, which can cause pigment changes and increase the risk of skin cancer.
Sun Spots and Similar Skin Changes
People may use terms such as “sun marks on skin” to refer to many forms of discoloration. White, red, brown, and gray areas can have different causes, so color alone cannot confirm a diagnosis.
White Sun Spots on Skin
Small white spots on sun-exposed arms or legs may be idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis, a common condition linked to aging and long-term sun exposure. Other possible causes include fungal infections, vitiligo, scars, and inflammatory skin disorders.
Red Sun Spots on Skin
Red, rough, or scaly spots are not typical solar lentigines. They may result from irritation, broken blood vessels, inflammation, or actinic keratosis, a precancerous change caused by chronic sun exposure.
Sun Spots vs. Freckles and Melasma
Freckles often appear earlier in life and may fade when sunlight decreases. Melasma often forms larger, even patches on the face and may require a different melasma treatment, while sunspots usually remain as separate marks with clear edges.
Are Sun Spots Harmful?
Typical sunspots are benign and do not become cancerous. Still, their presence can be a sign of cumulative sun exposure, and a suspicious lesion may sometimes resemble an ordinary spot.
Understanding common skin cancer warning signs can help explain why new or changing lesions need medical assessment.
Precancerous Sun Spots
Actinic keratoses are rough, scaly, or crusted patches that often form on the face, scalp, ears, and hands. These changes are not harmless age spots, and some may progress to squamous cell carcinoma if left untreated.
Sunspot vs. Melanoma
Melanoma can look like a new or changing brown mark. Signs that may require medical assessment include:
- An asymmetrical shape
- An uneven or blurred border
- Several colors within one spot
- A change in size, shape, or color
- Bleeding, itching, pain, or crusting
Not every melanoma follows the same pattern. A lesion that looks different from nearby spots should be examined, even if it does not meet all the warning signs.
Warning Signs That Need Care
Seek medical assessment for a spot that changes, bleeds, forms a sore, becomes raised, or grows quickly. New symptoms such as itching, pain, crusting, or persistent irritation can also indicate early skin disease that needs closer review.
How Are Sun Spots Diagnosed?
A clinician often diagnoses a typical sunspot by reviewing its history and appearance. Board-certified dermatologists may compare it with nearby lesions and ask whether it has changed over time.
Skin Examination and Dermoscopy
Dermoscopy uses a handheld magnifying device and polarized light to reveal pigment structures that are not visible to the naked eye. This examination can help distinguish a benign lentigo from a mole, an actinic keratosis, or a suspicious pigmented lesion before decisions are made about dermatologist-performed mole removal or further testing.
When a Biopsy May Be Needed
A biopsy may be recommended when a spot has irregular features or cannot be confidently identified. The clinician removes a small tissue sample so a laboratory can check for abnormal or cancerous cells.
Sun Spots on Skin Treatment and Removal
Treatment is optional when a clinician confirms that the lesions are benign. Sun spots on the skin may fade with topical or clinical care, but no method guarantees permanent clearing, as subsequent exposure can create new pigment.
Topical Treatments
Prescription or nonprescription products may contain retinoids and retinol products, hydroquinone, azelaic acid, vitamin C, or other pigment-reducing ingredients. Visible fading often takes several weeks or months, and irritation or uneven color changes can occur without proper guidance.
Chemical Peels and Cryotherapy
Chemical peels apply a controlled acid solution that removes part of the skin’s outer layer and supports a more even tone during healing. Cryotherapy freezes individual spots, but either procedure may cause temporary or lasting light or dark marks.
Laser and Light Treatments
Laser treatment targets excess pigment with focused energy, while intense pulsed light uses a range of light wavelengths. Results may develop over several weeks, and some people need more than one session based on spot depth, device type, skin tone, and aftercare.
Results, Risks, and Recurrence
Treatment may lighten a spot without removing every pigment cell. Possible limitations and side effects include:
- Temporary redness, swelling, or peeling
- Skin irritation or burns
- Light or dark pigment changes
- Scarring in uncommon cases
- Partial fading rather than full removal
- New spots after further UV exposure
People with darker skin tones may face a higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or darkening after some procedures. Treatment selection should account for skin tone, lesion depth, and the clinician’s experience with different skin types.
How Can You Prevent Sun Spots?
Sun protection cannot erase existing marks, but it can reduce further damage and help protect your skin. Consistent habits matter more than relying on sunscreen only during summer or at the beach.
Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen
Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to exposed areas before going outdoors. Reapply as directed, especially after swimming, sweating, or spending several hours outside.
Clothing, Shade, and Timing
Wearing protective clothing can reduce direct exposure on the arms, chest, and shoulders. Seeking shade, wearing a brimmed hat, and choosing wide-brimmed hats for extended outdoor time provide added protection for the face, ears, and neck.
Avoiding Tanning Beds
Avoid sun exposure when ultraviolet levels are strongest, when practical, but do not depend on timing alone. Avoid tanning beds because artificial UV light can cause pigmentation, premature aging, and cancer-related skin damage.
Can Sun Spots Be Treated Remotely?
Clear photographs may help a clinician review the general color, shape, distribution, and history of stable marks. Remote review cannot replace every part of an examination, especially when the lesion may require touch, dermoscopy, or tissue testing.
What Can Be Assessed From Photos?
Photos may support an initial review of established, unchanged pigment concerns and help guide basic skin care. Image quality, lighting, camera settings, and skin tone can affect how a lesion appears, which limits diagnostic certainty.
When In-Person Care Is Needed
An in-person examination is appropriate for lesions that are changing, bleeding, painful, irregular, or unclear. Direct evaluation is also needed when a clinician recommends dermoscopy, a biopsy, cryotherapy, a chemical procedure, or device-based treatment.
Clinical References
- American Academy of Dermatology Association: Age spots and sun-damaged skin
- American Academy of Dermatology Association: Melanoma warning signs
- DermNet: Solar lentigo and actinic keratosis
- National Cancer Institute: Skin cancer prevention and detection
