pigment spots have appeared on my cheeks... any hope of them disappearing!?

[beaniebaby25]

I ran the London Marathon in April and after the event I noticed that on both cheeks, just underneath the slightly thinner under-eye skin, on the middle of my cheeks, i have a spot each side of darker pigment.

It looks like an odd tanning spot, but I'm starting to think it's sun damage and its caused a mass of what look like freckles joined together.

It was roasting on the day of the marathon and i was sweating a lot on my face. Thinking about how I would have wiped my face with water I might have just missed the bit where the spots are, potentially resulting in a build up of salt on my skin.

Could a build up of salt on my skin have caused this pigmentation?

Is there any chance of it going away!?

They're not that dark, but they're obvious if I don't wear concealer, or at least a bit of foundation. My skin is generally ok and I dont need to wear foundation every day and I'm gutted that it looks like i might have to.

They also make me look a bit 'dirty' like i haven't washed my face properly.

Is there anything I can do? I thought about doing a facial scrub to see if it takes the top few layers off, and the marks with it... but not sure if this is wise if it's a permanent change to my skin pigmention.

Can anyone help me?

Are you preggers?

I had these 'butterfly' marks when pregnant and they gradually faded away. I think they're also known as chloasma and can occur when not preggers.

It's melanin sun damage indeed. And I'm afraid it is permanent. The chloasma of pregnancy does fade but sun spots don't (and forget about exfoliating - it's under the epidermis and you will only make the skin more vulnerable to it by making the skin thinner).

You might find a brightening concealer covers it up. I have one too - I've had very little skin exposure thanks to some melanomas early in life, but I still got them.

wear sun cream or you'll get more. i get very freckly from running, even if it isn't sunny and have had to start wearing factor 50 for running and 25 for everyday.

stubbyfingers - no i'm not preggers.

thanks everyone... looks like my fears are confirmed

I've been using a facial moisturiser with factor 15 for the last year but after your advice i'm going to get a much higher factor and use it specifically for my face.

Feel really gutted they literally appeared that day and now it looks like i'll have them forever. Well, if it means I start taking better care of my skin then I suppose that's not a bad thing

thanks again everyone

it might not be you know

are you on the pill?

I get these marks (melasma) and it's related to being on the pill (so similar hormonal reaction to being pregnant). It does come out in sun exposure.

The doctor asked if I was bothered by mine (I'm not) so there may be something you can do if you go to the GP.

If you are not on the pill, it might be worth asking the doctor anyway if it has just turned up. Do you have it anywhere else?

ooh thanks fox - yes I am on the pill. I've been on the same one for about 3 years now and not had anything like this before. It hasn't appeared anywhere else. Although, actually, about three years ago I did get these funny perfectly round spots on my torso (about two inches up from my tummy button) which came out while i was on holiday. I had about three circles where the pigment went funny, these were paler than my normal skin, looked like I'd dropped several blobs of sun block on me. They eventually faded, after about a year. hmm. coincidence it was around the time i started on this pill?

I can live with it for the meantime, I'll definitely mention it though when I go back for my repeat prescription. interesting how pregnancy/pill hormones could have an affect like this though.

thanks fox

I've got two pigmented marks on my cheeks too. I think they were caused one year on holiday when i went really brown and didn't put enough sun cream on by accident.
If i don't wear a really really high sf cream now they look awful. The only way i can keep them quite pale is by piling the high factor cream on everyday, even winter. Other wise i look like i have either scars of bruises, its not very nice

ah yes you sound like me beanie

my patches appeared for the first time this year and I've also been on this type of pill for about 2 years but it's definitely related apparently (so said the gynae!).

Yes, good idea to ask when you renew the prescription .

but if you are worried, would ask the GP, just to make sure

let me know how it goes and I'll tell you if mine start fading at any point!

thanks for your advice fox, it's really helpful. i managed to get a year's worth of pills last time i went so due back in around 8 months. i will mention it beforehand if i go to GP for anything else in the meantime though.

startingagain - hope yours start to fade too . Out of interest, which cream do you use on your face? Will be buying some today but I only really use Soltan factor 8-15 so no real experience of decent sun cream, I assume one that's non-greasy would be best for face? Can you give me any tips?

beanie, the one i like the best is ROC minesol actif, factor 60! It actually says anti brown spot. But other than that i use anything that is over say factor 25. I have a nice dermalogica one that is factor 25 and good as long as i put it on regularly. The boots own make one was good but think they stopped doing the facial one that i like.

Just pick a good high factor, it feels abit thick and 'white' to start with but soon sinks in.

thanks so much startingagain - i'll go and have a look later in the shops