I have some brown spots on my skin that were not there last year.

I have some brown spots on my skin that were not there last year.
Jeane, Worcester

Claudia Says...
The brown spots you describe are likely sun spots. They are suspected to be caused by repeated exposure to sun and are more persistent in people 40 years old and over. Sun spots tend to occur on the face, hands and can expand to other areas of the body. Hormonal changes in women brought by pregnancy or oral contraceptives seem to be an aggravating factor as well as certain nutrient imbalances like a copper overload according to nutritionist Anne Louise Gittleman.

Currently the recommended treatment for the sun spots are alpha hydroxyl peels, retinoic creams as well as some laser treatments. Dermatologists recommend avoiding sun exposure by using a high SPF cream to prevent the expansion of these brown spots.

Mama Lotion available at skincarerx.com is a best seller containing mandelic acid, a new generation of peel ingredients that is successful in evening skin tone. A whitening cream containing hydroquinone or their less irritating natural counterparts- kojic acid and licorice extract can complement the treatment and speed up the disappearance of brown spots.

Some other natural remedies are eating oysters which may help some because high zinc content can balance copper overload or supplementing with folic acid or a variety of oriental herbs. Whichever treatment option you choose, you have to be patient as results will occur in time. Expect to see significant improvements after 2 months or more. And take a trip to your physician for a checkup. Certain more serious medical conditions can be the cause for the appearance of your brown spots and best to check.

getsugar welcomes Claudia Starkey, founder of Remedix (remedix.com), as our resident beauty, skincare and wellness expert and our Beauty Buzz correspondent. As far as we can tell, nothing stumps her, and if it does, she'll research an entire library's worth of information on the subject and get back to you. So go ahead, ask her a question: e-mail her at questions@getsugar.com