9 Dark Spot Treatments That Really Work, According to Dermatologists
“Dark spots or hyperpigmentation are due to the overproduction of melanin in the skin by melanocytes,” plastic surgeon Melissa Doft, M.D. tells SELF. This extra melanin can be triggered by a lot of different things. “Hormones—both estrogen and progesterone—can increase the level of melanin (why pregnant women see dark spots that often lighten following birth); the sun can increase the level of melanin (why we have more dark spots after the summer); and age can increase the size of the melanocytes (why we see dark age spots in older patients),” Dr. Doft says.