Treating light spots in brown or black skin While anyone can develop light spots on their skin, these spots tend to be more noticeable if you have brown or black skin. Areas of lighter (or darker) skin develop for many reasons. Here’s why you may see one or more lighter areas, and what you can do

Melasma: The forehead is commonplace for melasma to appear. Melasma: Overview Melasma (muh-LAZ-muh) is a common skin problem. It causes brown to gray-brown patches on the face. Most people get it on their cheeks, bridge of their nose, forehead, chin, and above their upper lip. It also can appear on

Vitiligo: Overview Vitiligo: This skin disease often forms on both sides of the body as shown here on the knees. Vitiligo (vit-uh-lie-go) causes the skin to lose color. Patches of lighter skin appear. Some people develop a few patches. Others lose much more skin color. Vitiligo usually affects the skin,

  Tinea versicolor: It is not harmful, but many people dislike the way it discolors their skin. Tinea versicolor: Overview Also called pityriasis versicolor We all have yeast living on our skin. When the yeast grow out of control, a person can get a skin disease called tinea versicolor. Your

Melasma is a common skin problem that causes brown to gray-brown patches on the face. More likely to affect women and people with darker skin tones, melasma affects more than six million women in the U.S.  Although the exact causes of melasma are unclear, common triggers include sun exposure, pregnancy,

  Acanthosis nigricans: This skin condition causes areas of skin to darken and thicken as shown here on this 15-year-old girl's hands. Acanthosis nigricans: Overview What is acanthosis nigricans? Acanthosis nigricans (ay-can-THOE-sis NIE-gri-cans) (AN)  is a skin condition that causes one