Skip to content 
Skin Condition · Kensington, London
Brown Spots and Freckles: Freckle, Sun Spot, or Something to Get Checked?
Brown spots on the skin are usually freckles or sun spots. Freckles are small, appear early in life, darken in summer and fade in winter. Sun spots are larger, appear later after cumulative ultraviolet exposure, and may lighten slightly in winter but do not disappear. Both indicate sun exposure.
- Examined before treated
- Dermoscopy where needed
- Kensington clinic
- Medically reviewed by Dr Prasad
This page reflects how pigmented spots are assessed and managed at Faciem, and is reviewed for clinical accuracy.
Last reviewed: 14 September 2026.
Patient information only. Any pigmented spot that is changing should be examined in person, and any treatment plan follows a face-to-face consultation with Dr Prasad.
Patients since 2019
Procedures
Satisfaction
On this page:
TL;DR
Brown spots on the skin are most often freckles or sun spots, both caused by ultraviolet exposure but behaving differently: freckles appear in childhood and fade seasonally, while sun spots appear later and persist. Both are harmless, but a spot that is changing, growing or looks unlike its neighbours needs examining before any cosmetic treatment. Assessment at Faciem includes examination of the skin, and treatment is planned by Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered doctor.
- Freckles fade in winter, sun spots persist
- Both are markers of sun exposure
- A changing spot needs examining, not treating
About the Condition
What Are Brown Spots and Freckles?
Brown spots are flat areas of increased melanin in the epidermis. Freckles, or ephelides, result from melanocytes producing more pigment in response to sunlight without increasing in number. Sun spots, known clinically as solar lentigines, involve both more pigment and more melanocytes, which is why they persist rather than fading between summers.
Telling freckles and sun spots apart
Freckles are small, usually two to four millimetres, light to mid brown, and scattered across the nose, cheeks, shoulders and forearms. They appear in childhood, are strongly associated with fair skin and red or light hair, and they follow the seasons — darker after summer, considerably lighter by late winter. Sun spots are larger, often five millimetres or more, with a more defined edge and a flatter, more uniform tan-to-dark-brown colour. They appear from the thirties onward on the areas with the most cumulative exposure: face, backs of hands, forearms, upper chest and shoulders. They may lighten a little in winter but never clear. Both are flat, and both should feel identical to the skin around them.
Who tends to develop them
Freckles are largely genetic and strongly linked to fair skin, red or blond hair and a tendency to burn instead of tanning. They usually appear before the age of ten and often become less prominent in adulthood. Sun spots depend far more on accumulated exposure than on genetics, so they appear in anyone who has spent time in the sun, though earlier and more densely in fair skin. They are one of the more reliable visible markers of lifetime ultraviolet exposure. Skin type here is described on the Fitzpatrick scale, I to VI, which records how skin behaves in ultraviolet light rather than how dark it looks: freckling clusters at Fitzpatrick I and II, while people with Fitzpatrick IV to VI skin develop sun spots too, often later and with less contrast against the surrounding tone, alongside other forms of pigmentation. The same scale decides how a peel or laser is set, because in deeper skin tones the risk being managed is post-inflammatory pigmentation left behind by the treatment rather than the spot itself.
The spots that are not freckles or sun spots
Several other things present as brown spots, and telling them apart is the reason to be examined before anything is treated. Seborrhoeic keratoses are raised, waxy and often described as looking stuck on, and become common from middle age. Moles are collections of melanocytes that may be flat or raised and are usually present from earlier in life. Post-inflammatory marks follow the outline of a previous spot or injury. Most importantly, melanoma can present as a new or changing pigmented patch. A single spot that stands out from the others in size, shape, colour or behaviour is the one that warrants attention.
Causes & Contributing Factors
What Causes Brown Spots and Freckles?
Brown spots are caused by ultraviolet light stimulating melanocytes to produce more melanin. In freckles the cells produce more pigment temporarily; in sun spots the cells themselves increase in number, which is why the spots persist. Genetics determines how readily an individual responds.
Cumulative ultraviolet exposure
Sun spots reflect a lifetime of accumulated exposure, not any single episode, which is why they appear on the face, hands and chest. Reducing further exposure limits new spots and stops existing ones darkening.
Genetics and skin type
Freckling is strongly inherited and closely associated with fair skin, red or blond hair, and a tendency to burn. The same genetic profile carries a higher lifetime risk of sun damage generally.
Childhood sunburn
Episodes of sunburn in childhood and adolescence contribute disproportionately to pigmentation appearing decades later. This is one reason spots often emerge in the thirties and forties with no recent change in habits.
Sunbed use
Artificial ultraviolet exposure produces the same pigment response as sunlight and adds to cumulative damage. It also raises skin cancer risk, which is why sunbeds are not recommended at any level of use.
Age-related change in pigment cells
Melanocyte distribution becomes less even with age, so pigment tends to cluster instead of spreading evenly. This contributes to the mottled tone many people notice from midlife onwards.
Treatments We Offer
How Brown Spots and Freckles Are Treated at Faciem
Assessment and treatment of brown spots are available at Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic on Kensington Church St, London, led by Dr Prasad. Treatment suppresses pigment production, clears pigment already deposited, then protects the skin so new spots do not replace the old — with combined prescription skincare and peels, pigmented areas are typically reduced within three to six months. Examination comes first: a spot that needs monitoring should not be removed cosmetically before it has been looked at properly.
01
Medical-Grade Skincare
A prescription regime such as ZO Skin Health lightens existing spots and slows the formation of new ones, working every day between appointments. Daily sun protection anchors the same plan.
Best for: diffuse spotting and long-term prevention
Read about Medical-Grade Skincare
02
Chemical Peels
Controlled exfoliation lifts pigment from the upper layers of skin and improves overall evenness of tone. Depth and formulation are chosen for your skin tone and the depth of the pigment.
Best for: clustered spots and uneven tone
Read about Chemical Peels
03
Hydrafacial
A Hydrafacial cleanses, lifts away the outer layer of dead skin cells and infuses actives, supporting a pigment-focused routine between stronger treatments. Useful for overall brightness more than for individual spots.
Best for: dullness and general evenness of tone
Read about Hydrafacial
Laser can be effective for a small number of isolated sun spots, though scattered pigmentation usually responds better to suppression first. In Fitzpatrick IV to VI skin, settings are lowered, sessions spaced further apart and a patch test is used before any full treatment. Dr Prasad confirms suitability at a face-to-face consultation, and no two skins respond identically.
When to Seek Medical Advice
When Should a Brown Spot Be Checked?
Have a brown spot checked if it is changing in size, shape or colour, if it looks different from the others around it, or if it itches, bleeds or fails to heal. Most brown spots are harmless, but change is the feature that matters and it is not something to judge from a photograph.
Worth getting checked
- A spot changing in size, shape, colour or outline over weeks or months
- A spot that looks noticeably different from all the others on your skin
- Any spot that itches, bleeds, crusts or does not heal
- A new pigmented spot appearing after the age of forty
Conditions that can look similar
- Seborrhoeic keratoses, moles, post-inflammatory marks and melasma can all present as brown patches, and each behaves differently. Melanoma can also present as a new or changing pigmented lesion, which is why examination precedes any cosmetic treatment. If you are unsure whether a spot has changed, it is better to have it looked at than to watch it for another season.
Self-Care & Prevention
Caring for Brown Spots and Freckles at Home
Sun protection is the only home measure that meaningfully changes the course of brown spots, both by fading existing ones more effectively and by preventing the new ones that would otherwise replace them. Checking your own skin on a fixed interval is the other habit that pays off.
Do
- Apply broad-spectrum SPF 50 every morning, year round, and reapply every 2 hours outdoors
- Check your own skin every 3 months in good daylight, face, chest, forearms and hands
- Photograph any spot you are monitoring every 4 weeks, same light and distance, so change is measured rather than remembered
- Reapply SPF 50 to the backs of the hands after every hand wash, and add shade or a hat whenever the UV index is 3 or above
Avoid
- Sunbeds and deliberate tanning at any age — the melanoma risk is highest for use before 35
- Unshaded sun between 11am and 3pm, when UV in the UK is at its strongest
- Removing or burning off a spot yourself with over-the-counter acid or freeze kits
- Assuming a long-standing spot is fine if it has altered in the past 3 months — have it examined first
This is general guidance, not individual assessment. A spot you are uncertain about should be examined in person, not monitored indefinitely.
Why Patients Choose Faciem
Examined First, Treated Second
Most brown spots are entirely harmless and treating them is a cosmetic choice. The reason to be seen by a doctor first is the small number that are not, and that distinction cannot be made reliably by eye alone.
- Skin examined, with dermoscopy where a lesion needs closer inspection
- Assessed by Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered doctor, before any cosmetic treatment
- Freckles, sun spots, keratoses and moles told apart, not treated as one problem
- Honest advice on what will fade, what will not, and what needs monitoring
Experience & Expertise
Why Brown Spots Should Be Examined Before Treatment
The clinical value in assessing brown spots lies less in treating them than in confirming what they are. Freckles, sun spots, seborrhoeic keratoses, moles and early melanoma can all present as a brown patch, and the features that separate them — border regularity, colour variation, pigment network under dermoscopy — are not reliably visible to the naked eye. Removing or lightening a lesion cosmetically before it has been examined destroys the very information needed to assess it. Dr Prasad examines the skin, uses dermoscopy where a lesion warrants closer inspection, and is clear about which spots are cosmetic and which need monitoring or further investigation.
- Dr Anamica Prasad — MBChB (1999), Dip Dermatology (2001), MRCGP, DFFP, DRCOG · a GMC-registered doctor
- Member of the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP), British Medical Laser Association (BMLA), Royal Society of Medicine and the Aesthetic Complications Group
- Clinic operated by Derma Medical UK Ltd, registered with the Care Quality Commission for diagnostic and screening procedures, surgical procedures, and treatment of disease, disorder or injury · CQC Location ID 1-25573003746
- Face-to-face medical consultation, skin examination and dermoscopy where a lesion needs checking
- 20 years’ experience in dermatology, assessing pigmented lesions across every skin tone
Patient Reviews
Rated Excellent by Patients on Google
Brown Spots and Freckles FAQs
Your Questions, Answered
Freckle or sun spot? Harmless or in need of a check? The answers below cover the brown-spot questions we hear most; anything specific to your own skin belongs in a consultation.
Can I go on a sunny holiday while treating brown spots?
A sunny holiday is best kept clear of active brown-spot treatment, because ultraviolet exposure reverses it. Peels and prescription lightening are usually paused around two weeks before you travel and restarted about two weeks after you return, once the skin is no longer sun-reactive. While away, use SPF 50 and reapply every 2 hours, wear a wide-brimmed hat and stay out of direct sun between 11am and 3pm. A week in strong sun is the commonest reason a pigmentation course stalls.
Are freckles a sign of sun damage?
Yes. Freckles form when melanocytes cluster extra melanin in response to ultraviolet exposure — a protective change, and a visible signal that the skin has had more sun than it can comfortably handle. Dermatologists read freckling as a prompt to improve sun protection, because the same exposure that drives freckles also drives sun spots and skin ageing decades later.
How do I get rid of brown spots?
Brown spots are treated with prescription-strength skincare that suppresses pigment production, combined with chemical peels that lift pigment already deposited — pigmented areas are typically reduced within three to six months of starting. Isolated sun spots sometimes respond well to targeted laser, and maintenance with vitamin C and retinol helps keep melanin levels low afterwards. Daily sunscreen protects the result.
Are brown spots dangerous?
The great majority are entirely harmless. What matters is change: a spot that is growing, altering in shape or colour, itching, bleeding or looking different from all the others should be examined. Melanoma can present as a new or changing pigmented patch, which is why examination precedes cosmetic treatment.
What is the difference between freckles and sun spots?
Freckles are small — two to four millimetres — appear in childhood on fair skin, and darken and fade with the seasons. Sun spots, or solar lentigines, are larger, arrive from the thirties onward on sun-exposed areas, and persist year round because the pigment cells themselves have increased in number, not just their output. Seasonal fading is the quickest practical test between the two.
Can brown spots be treated during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Treatment of brown spots is normally postponed until after pregnancy and breastfeeding. The mainstays of a pigment plan — prescription retinoids and hydroquinone-based suppressants — are not used in pregnancy, and pigmentation itself often shifts during those months, so an assessment made now may not hold. Daily SPF 50, vitamin C and azelaic acid are the usual holding measures in the meantime. Tell Dr Prasad at the consultation and the plan is built around your timings.
How much does it cost to treat brown spots?
The cost of treating brown spots depends on the route: prescription skincare, a course of peels, or both, and on how many sessions your pigmentation needs. Peel prices are listed on our chemical peels page. Because pigmentation is usually treated over several months, Dr Prasad sets out the full plan and its cost in writing before anything begins.
Sources & Further Reading
- Solar lentigo (sun spots) — DermNet NZ
- Disorders of skin pigmentation — DermNet NZ
- Melanoma skin cancer — signs and when to seek help — NHS
These are general sources of patient information and do not replace individual medical assessment. Any spot you are concerned about should be examined in person.
Brown Spots and Freckles in Kensington, London
A Doctor-Led Clinic in the Heart of Kensington
Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic sits on Kensington Church St, a few minutes’ walk from High Street Kensington station and around ten from Notting Hill Gate, with Kensington council underground parking close by. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am–7pm; the clinic is closed on Sunday. A pigmented-spot examination is a short appointment, but fading brown spots is a course of care over several months — one reason patients from Chelsea, Holland Park and across West London choose a clinic they can reach easily.
Plan Your Visit
- Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic
- Phone: +44 20 7131 3539
- 7 Kensington Church St, London W8 4LF, United Kingdom
- Tube: High Street Kensington (few minutes’ walk) · Notting Hill Gate (~10 minutes)
- Parking: Kensington council underground car park nearby
- Open Monday–Saturday, 10am–7pm · Sunday closed
- Skin examinations bookable online; treatment planned after assessment
- Consultation-first — no treatment without medical assessment
- Serving Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill & Central London
Continue Exploring
Related Conditions & Treatments
Mole Checks
When a pigmented spot needs examining rather than treating, and what a mole check involves.
Read more →
Hyper-pigmentation
The wider category of pigment problems, and how the different types are distinguished.
Read more →
Melasma
Hormonal pigmentation forming symmetrical patches rather than discrete spots, treated quite differently.
Read more →
Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic · Kensington
First, Find Out What Your Spots Are
Book a consultation with Dr Prasad to have your brown spots examined and identified, hear honestly which will fade with treatment, and leave with a plan for the ones that will.
Prefer to talk? +44 20 7131 3539