Q. I used to have nice skin when I was younger. Now, I never leave the house without makeup because I have brown spots and spider veins. What would you suggest to improve my skin?

A. Uneven skin tone is one of the top problems that our patients ask about. Almost all of us have some type of discoloration on our face, whether it’s brown spots, brown patches, blotchy redness, spider veins, or a combination of these. It’s the result of sun exposure, heredity, and sometimes medical conditions such as acne, rosacea, or melasma. Like you, many of our patients tell us that they would like to not feel the need to wear foundation every day.

There are excellent treatments to make the skin tone more even. Many of our patients achieve beautiful results with procedures such as IPL, Clear+Brilliant laser, Excel V laser, and chemical peels. We often combine these procedures to maximize improvement. Before diving into procedures, it’s essential to evaluate the cause of the discoloration, treat relevant medical conditions, use appropriate skin care products, assess skin type, and consider lifestyle factors.