Spots and glow: not every spot is treated the same
A sun spot responds well to targeted light. Melasma does not: it’s hormonal and chronic, and an overly aggressive treatment can make it worse. Knowing which one you have changes everything.
The right answer depends on the spot
At the surface, all brown spots look alike. Underneath, they don’t share the same cause, and the cause is what decides the treatment. Mistaking melasma for a simple sun spot means risking making it worse.
Sun spots (lentigines)
Flat brown marks left by years of sun, often on the cheeks, forehead and backs of the hands.
Respond well to targeted light
Melasma
More diffuse patches triggered by hormones and heat. It’s chronic: we calm it and keep it quiet, we don’t erase it for good.
We manage, we don’t cure
Dull complexion
Skin turns over its cells more slowly and loses its glow, without any distinct spot.
We restart cell turnover
Post-acne marks
The brown or pink marks left after a breakout, when inflammation has marked the skin.
Fade with the right careWhy spots appear
Several triggers come into play, and not always the same one depending on the spot.
Sun and UV
The main cause of sun spots. It also wakes up melasma, even through a window.
Hormones
Pregnancy, the pill or hormonal shifts: this is the central cause of melasma.
Heat
Heat alone can flare melasma, without any direct sun: cooking, sauna, a heat wave.
Inflammation and acne
A breakout or irritation often leaves a pigmented mark as it heals.
Age and slower turnover
Over time, skin renews itself more slowly and the complexion turns duller.
Skin is clear and even. This is the age of prevention.
- First small sun spots on sun-exposed skin
- Melasma can appear with the pill
- Daily SPF genuinely changes what comes next
Hormones and accumulated sun start to show.
- Melasma often appears after a pregnancy
- Sun spots build up on the cheeks and forehead
- The complexion loses some of its glow
Sun spots grow more numerous and the complexion turns more uneven.
- Sun spots more visible and darker
- Complexion duller and less even
- We combine protection and targeted treatments
Clearing sun spots
We target the brown pigment with light or a laser, then protect the skin so it doesn’t come back.
Photorejuvenation for spots
Pulsed light targets the brown pigment of sun spots and evens out the complexion. Ideal for sun damage, not for melasma.
See the treatment →PicoSure
A picosecond laser that shatters pigment into fine particles the skin clears away. The number of sessions varies by spot.
See the treatment →LaseMD Ultra
This fractional laser resurfaces the skin and helps even the tone and bring back radiance.
See the treatment →ZO chemical peel
It renews the skin’s surface and helps fade spots and marks. ZO peel $250, taxes extra.
See the treatment →Photorejuvenation, the overview
To understand the light-based options and pick the one that suits your skin.
See the treatment →Managing melasma, carefully
Melasma is chronic. We don’t try to erase it all at once: we calm it without provoking it, because an overly aggressive treatment can make it worse.
Gentle peel (ZO)
A gradual, measured peel helps lighten without irritating the skin. We go one small step at a time. ZO peel $250, taxes extra.
See the treatment →PicoSure (cautious setting)
PicoSure can help melasma on a gentle setting, only after an evaluation and never forced. Results vary.
See the treatment →Sun protection (SPF)
The foundation of any melasma plan: a high SPF every day, even indoors and in winter. Without it, nothing else holds.
HydraFacial
A gentle treatment that keeps the glow going between sessions, without heating or irritating the skin.
See the treatment →Targeted topical care
A home routine that slows pigment production, chosen with you based on your skin.
With melasma, we manage, we don’t cure. Saying it plainly is already protecting you better.
How we choose with you
It all starts with knowing which spot you have. We look at your skin during the evaluation, identify the cause, then choose the gentlest treatment that gives a real result. With melasma, we move carefully, even if that means going slower.
We won’t promise to erase melasma forever, because that would be false, and results vary. Three nurses and three medical estheticians, seven years of experience and more than 700 reviews in Sainte-Rose, Laval.
Your questions
We start with your skin.
An honest evaluation, then a step-by-step plan. You decide, we advise.
