Hydroquinine helps some people (rx), as does laser and liquid nitrogen. Brown spots have good memories though and may return. None of the above have worked for me long term:(

I used the Olay brown spot corrector. I cannot remember it's exact name, but it was in a purple tube. While it did not eliminate the spot, it did lighten it.

I've had brown spots removed on my legs; they turn black then flake off within a few weeks. I had one done on my forehead.

Other spots have appeared on my legs since then, they are like freckles so I've given up on keeping up with the removal.

Mitch was your forehead one done with liquid nitrogen in a physician's office? I didn't know about this treatment before reading Funnygirl's post.

I've had several done using the liquid nitrogen. It worked beautifully and they never came back. I had them done by the dermatologist in her office. It looked awful for a few days. I wore a bandaid over it. Then it formed a scab. The scab fell off and the spot was gone, leaving behind nice pink new skin and the spot never came back.

I had a friend who got some dry ice (carbon dioxide) and froze off the brown spots on her legs and arms. She looked like she had leprosy for awhile, but darned if it didn't work! I never try that in my face.

I have been a freckle face all my life and those cute freckles have morphed into old age spots. I also spent hours and hours working on my tan by the pool and on the beach.

I no longer have large brown spots thanks to the liquid nitrogen,but I do have loads of more diffuse brown spots and I hate them. I had to speak at a township meeting and it is televised. I was really unhappy about how my spotty patches looked when I watched it later on my high-def tv.

What OTC products work for general skin lightening? I've read that products containing hydroquinone are best.

This is also a bad time of year to start this because we are more likely to be outside, and your skin is more sensitive to the sun. My Derma. would not do the liquid nitrogen procedure until fall.

Are you talking about melasma...the kind of spots we get with pregnancy and the pill? This is what I have. Clinique has a product that works pretty well if used religiously but then you have to stay out of the sun or they come right back. I've had them since my first pg then even worse with my twins in my 40s. I looked like I had a brown moustache. Hate these spots.

Hate the brown spots on my body from sun damage. Why didn't my mother warn me? Wait...She did!

Here is a link that might be useful: Melasma/chloasma

I saw a picture of my grandmother the other day. OMG. I guess it is going to get worse? I had it slightly, then had two kids in my late thirties and early forties. Yikes. Between that and Rosacea I just want to throw in the towel. :) I love my clinique foundation and coverup. I wish there was something with less chemicals that worked as well.

I think I am too chicken to use chemicals to treat either issue. :(

I've also had the liquid nitrogen treatment on sots on my hands. I asked my derm about the spots and before I knew it she was blasting them. She didn't warn me that they would look much worse before they looked better! It's been a couple of years and they are still gone. You need to make sure and wear sunscreen to keep them from reappearing. I think that you could do the same thing at home with an OTC liquid nitrogen wart remover, though I wouldn't do it on my face at home!

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Scholl's Wart Remover

You can also buy Dermablend cover makeup and it totally covers brown spots, scars and even tattoos. It's only temporary but it's nice to know you can look flawless once in a while.

Wow, do-it-yourself. I'm a little chicken, but this really appeals. Maybe I'll try it on a hand or leg and work my way up to my face.

I bought some Dermablend once. Isn't it supposed to cover burns and everything? Maybe I got the wrong kind or rubbed it in too much or something, but it didn't cover.

Yes, flawless. The only thing between me and perfection is my brown spots.

Now where did I put that ascii map? I need an emoticon. Because you may not know that I am screamingly funny as well as almost without fault.

Here you go, the video on the proper Dermablend product to use. I love watching the demos. I choose from the site and then I go to Ebay and find the lowest price and but it there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dermablend video demonstrations

My poor mom had a bad fall and her face was so black and blue. She was really distraught. I bought some Dermablend for her at Macy's and it covered the bruising so well you could not see it.

No, my spots are not melasma. It's just freckles gone wild. Think of the pointillism style of painting -- lots of dots.

My BIL uses the Dr. Scholl's product on DSis' actinic keratosis and it does the job. I've had a pkg of that stuff sitting around for months but can't bring myself to self inflict pain! When I visited them a few months ago, BIL zapped a brown spot on my arm which has lightened significantly. I'll bet a second treatment might actually obliterate it. I should prob. have DH attempt it on me, but eh...I'm kinda chicken.

I'm in the Spotty Club too. Freckles were cute, the bigger splotches, not so much. I did the laser -- worked, but that summer (even with sunscreen) everything came right back. I have one particular spot that bugs me. It's about the size of a fingertip, on my cheek. The dr. tried the nitrogen thing and it didn't work at all! Hydroquinone (which you can buy at Amazon!) definitely fades the spots but it's not a "once and done" solution. You have to keep at it. I also get microdermabrasion facials now, and that seems to help a bit in combination with the hydroquinone and I also use Retin A (Rx) a few nights a week.

I hate wearing a lot of makeup so I'm one who'd prefer to get rid of the spots rather than cover them up! Glad to know I'm not alone, at least. I have exactly one friend who has spotty skin like me. Everyone else's skin seems to look flawless!

Well, I bought some of the liquid nitrogen after reading about it this morning. The bad thing about it is you don't get any warning on the pain. I thought you would feel a little pain and it would build up, but it just hit all of a sudden and made me jump every time. It doesn't mean I won't do it again if it works, but I just wasn't expecting it. I did about 4 spots on my arm, so we'll see!

MsRose, I'll be interested to hear how that works out. Oops, should have warned you that you have to grit your teeth during that procedure. My Derma. had some sort of special spray thing, a metal bottle with a trigger that she pulled to blast the spot. Whoa, that hurt, but not unbearably and the result was so worth it.

Can't wait to hear how you make out.

Liquid nitrogen OTC ? Please post a follow up, along with the brand name, please.

martinca - I used Walmart's version of Dr. Scholl's wart remover that terriks posted above.

As soon as it started to hurt I pulled away, so I don't know if I left on long enough or not. I had welps last night, but it looks normal today. I'm waiting to see if it starts to scap up or anything.

Retinal (retin-A) will fade brown spots. Sunscreen is an absolute must afterwards.

My MIL had some brown spots removed with liquid nitrogen (by her dermatologist). Hers were on her neck and back - thicker looking than what you get on your face. However, she had a white spot (almost a scar) where each was removed. I share that just in case you try doing the liquid nitrogen yourself. I definitely would not try it on the face.

I agree that you should not try a do-it-yourself on your face. The doctor did mine and there is no mark or white spot.