Out Darn Spot – Do You Give Yourself Brown Spots Unknowingly?

Spots on a bug that’s supposed to have spots is kinda cute.

Brown spots on your face or neck or arms where you don’t want them is not cute (unless they’re freckles and we think freckles ARE cute!)

Yeah, we know the sun is the major spot-making bad guy, but there are others that are not so apparent.

 Here’s a list of some surprising spot makers:  More problematic for ethnic skins, but everyone can take note

• Heat – from the kitchen, the sauna, the jacuzzi, work
• Bug bites
• Skin allergies
• Pimples that you just can’t keep your hands off of

And here’s some ideas to help mitigate some of the situational spot-causing events above

• In the kitchen – keep a fan nearby to cool you off. Hard to do if you work in a restaurant, but try to keep the air moving.
• Sauna – short stays. Really, though, we’re not convinced a sauna is a good idea. It’s really hard on your skin and can dehydrate you making not only spots, but wrinkles.
• Jacuzzi – short stay and how about a spritz bottle with some cool water? At least you can help lessen the heat effect on your face.
• Work environment – if you have to work in a hot warehouse or in high temperatures outside, wear a hat and use a spritzer or a water soaked bandana on your head or around your neck. The idea is to keep temperatures in the skin lower. Drink ample water. Your body temperature can go up quickly if you are dehydrated.
• But bites – avoid them. If they love you, use a repellant. Cover arms and legs if you’re in bug territory. Try some extra Vitamin B2. It’s the histamine the bugs love, so if you tend to have seasonal allergies, you might also be a “magnet” since the allergic among us usually have higher histamine levels. Talk to your doc about anti-histamines.
• Skin allergies – don’t scratch. Scratching causes inflammation and inflammation can cause brown spots.
• Pimples – you know better than to pick. Again, the inflammation rule rules. Use your topical meds and if your pimples are out of control, see your derm

Some de-spotting ideas