Possible to get rid of a brown spot (Lentigine?)

Hi all. A brown spot has appeared on my face at the top of my cheek. It's not very dark and not very big, but it's definitely noticeable from about 10 feet away or so.

I tried to self diagnose briefly and on the following page, it looks a bit like the Lentigines example in the middle picture. Its pale brown but it's about a quarter of the size of the big spots in that picture, and there is only one of them:
http://dermnetnz.org/lesions/freckles.html

I get very little sun and haven't been sun burned since I was a kid. I only just turned 30 years old so I am hoping this is not just something that happens with age? My skin is otherwise perfectly clear. I think it faded at one point and I thought it was going, but it came back. I've had it for several months now, or more. I think there is a tiny hair in the middle of it. It's just above my normal stubble line, but there are a few hairs that grow higher up my cheek and so maybe that just happens to be a hair in that spot. There is no pain but I would quite like to get rid of it.

Thanks in advance!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Sun spots or lentigines, are harmless, flat, brown discolorations of the skin which usually occur on the back of the hands, neck and face of people older than 40 years of age. They are caused by the skin being exposed to the sun over many years and are a sigh of sun damage. The only way to prevent age spots is to use liberal amounts of sunscreen before the age of forty, avoid the sun, and wear protective clothing. The newest treatment for age spots is an alpha hydroxy acid gel or beta hydroxy acid gel.  Retin-A cream, alpha hydroxyacid peels, and liquid nitrogen therapy are other options.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.

[thepixies]

Thank you for the information.  Do you think it's possible I could have something else, seeing as I got this when I was still actually 29?

If it is a lentigine, maybe I could just go to a pharmacist and get a cream for it?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Without examination it is very difficult to confirm a diagnosis,but it can be lentigenes,solar keratosis(small rough or scaly areas of skin due to damage from sun exposure), seborrheis keratosis(small lumps due to a thickening of an area of the top skin layer) ,syringoma(bumps caused due to overgrowth of cells),moles or freckles.

I sincerely advise you consult a dermatologist and get the diagnosis confirmed.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts.Kind regards.

[Reet11157]

hi,
i m 23yrs old female, and i just noticed from 4-5 weeks a light brown patches on my cheek bone areas on both sides of face. what is it? i am not pregnant , never took birth control pills. is it melasma? or sunburn? or something else. can you please tell me how can i cure it?
Reet