Our family spent a lot of time outdoors this summer, since there wasn’t much else to do. Now I’m noticing that my skin looks more dull than usual, and I see a lot of little brown spots on my face and arms that weren’t there a few months ago. And here I thought that I did a great job with sunscreen, but I guess I didn’t use enough. What do you recommend for me?

In Tucson, our skin doesn’t look so good by the end of the summer. The summer sun here is intense, and even the most diligent, hat-wearing sunscreen user can still end up getting a good dose of UV light, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

Adding to the problem, we often recommend avoiding creams containing retinol and hydroquinone in the summer to avoid excessive sun sensitivity, but those creams also help to keep our skin looking bright and even.
So in a nutshell, the end of summer is a popular time to clean up dull, uneven, speckled skin.

There are many options to choose from, including IPL, Clear+Brilliant laser, or a chemical peel. We can discuss the pros and cons of each of these treatments so that you can decide which is the best fit for you.