In your teens and early 20s, taking a stroll outside sans sunscreen was no big deal (or so it felt). You basked in the sun’s rays and appreciated the warm glow it gave your complexion. Then you turned 30 and boom: A constellation of dark spots appeared across your left cheek. Happy birthday.
Besides committing to a lifelong relationship with straw hats and SPF 50 to prevent future spots, what can you do to address the ones you already have? On this week’s episode of The Glow Up, beauty director Jenny Jin seeks to banish her brown spot (one so prominent in her life that she nicknamed it) once and for all with the help of cosmetic derm Bradley S. Bloom, M.D., and one powerful laser.
Dr. Bloom tells us a dark spot is “extra pigment that’s happening at the surface of the skin” as a result of (you guessed it) sun exposure. He drives the point home by using a special UV camera to highlight all the sun damage that has accumulated on Jin’s skin, and the results sent us running to purchase the largest visor we could find. After trying a handful of creams and retinols to no avail, Jin decided it was time to laser off her dark spot for good.
Watch Jin’s full laser experience, from the initial zap (which Jin swears she barely felt) to her final result two weeks later. (Spoiler: It’s kind of amazing.)