Professionally removing dark spots on face
For people who have removed dark spots on their face professionally, what kind of procedure did you do and who did you see? Did you like your results? I'm looking for myself and am a little overwhelmed by the different options. I've already tried at-home skincare products over time with no success, so looking to get it professionally removed. And given it's on my face and very visible, I want to be careful with who I see and what technology/etc is used. Thanks in advance!
Apr 29, 2025
Parent Replies
Recommend that you see a cosmetic dermatologist, MD. There are independents and also cosmetic dermatologists at UCSF, Stanford, and most other major hospitals/networks.
Before treatment, they will likely want you to first see a regular dermatologist to rule out any cancer concerns so it might make sense to get your annual skin check first.
There are many reasons people have dark spots and many different types of dark spots but (assuming no medical concerns...) the likely treatment will be a series of lasers and/or cryotherapy (freezing) and/or electrocautery.
Absent a medical concern (e.g., cancer) this will not be covered by insurance but if you are bothered by their appearance, it will be worth it.
The best treatment I received was a Halo Laser treatment. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any good Halo providers close by to Berkeley. There is one but it is disreputable. The best I can find is in Alamo, and that is a distance. Others are in Walnut Creek and Dublin. Other than that, an inexpensive option for overall skin appearance including spots is tretinoin cream. It is a much denser form of retin-a. Also I use the Skinceuticals C 10 AOX. Skinceuticals sells more expensive C serums but I've found the 10 AOX works as well.
I've done microneedling for age/sun spots and would highly recommend! It took a few sessions to see a noticeable difference, but this in combo with Vitamin C by Marie Veronique has been a game changer for me. And very little downtime post-procedure, like a day. I see Dr. Jules at Raven & Wren Wellness on 7th St. in Berkeley. I remember doing a complimentary consultation before I got started. Good Luck and hope this helps!
I had great success with IPL treatment (IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light), done by Dr. Jeannie Tsai in San Francisco on Lombard Street. Her business is called SF Aesthetics and Laser. Not cheaper, but totally worth it. She's also a very nice person. I did it for brown sun damage and age spots. The first time was the most dramatic -- the spots darken and flake off. I've had a couple touch ups over the years.
I have hyperpigmentation due to melasma, and the only thing that truly worked for me was Cosmelan. It’s a professional depigmentation treatment and yes—it’s expensive (over $1,000)—but 100% worth it in my opinion. When I think about all the Retin-A products I tried, dermatologists I saw out of network, and the amount I used to spend on concealers and foundations to cover up the spots, it will actually ended up saving me money in the long run. I don’t use foundation or concealer at all anymore—that’s how effective it was for me.
It’s not without some discomfort—there’s peeling, redness, and irritation for a bit—but it was so, so worth it. Just be sure to go to someone experienced with melasma, as that really makes a difference. I simply went to Yelp and typed in Cosmelan to find a provider. Good luck!
My dermatologist took of my dark spot with a single cryotherapy appointment. I recommend starting with yours!
My personal experience with attempting to remove a facial dark spot was by freezing it off. This was performed by a cosmetic surgeon in-office. It hurt like you-know-what, cost several hundred dollars, AND despite my very careful and consistent application of daily sunscreen and hat use, it fully came back within a year. Sigh.
Look into laser treatments by a reputable cosmetic derm, MD or not a derm, but someone with an excellent reputation. I go to káiser cosmetic services in Walnut Creek.
I do not do my face, but I do my hands. I did three treatments in the winter and the results were terrific.
The first two treatments, I did have some scabbing and looked like I had something done. You should talk to your provider about what you are going to look like after. Now I go in for maintenance 1x a year.
The treatment is uncomfortable, but survivable on hands.
I once did a laser treatment on my face for broken capillaries. It was one of the most painful things that I ever did including childbirth and kidney stones.
Talk with your provider about what you can do for pain.