Dark Spots

Our dark spots service provides you with a convenient and affordable way to manage your dark spots, and empowers you to do so appropriately and safely. 

You can get the care and advice you need online without having to go to a traditional doctor’s office. Our medical team can assess your dark spots to evaluate the cause and, if appropriate, prescribe and deliver an effective treatment to your door.

Hyperpigmentation is the technical term for when your skin darkens. Dark spots are often caused by excess melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin its color. The melanin can build up in patches and make the skin appear darker than the skin around it. Dark spots can be caused by many things including prescription medications, certain health or skin conditions, excessive sun exposure, or infections.

Sometimes dark spots can be caused by more serious conditions such as skin cancer. It is important to be familiar with your own skin and schedule a yearly physical exam with your healthcare provider in person if you have any suspicious skin spots. If you notice spots or marks on your skin that are changing in number, size, or shape over time, you should see a dermatologist for a more comprehensive skin exam.

Our medical team can prescribe a specially compounded cream to treat dark spots that contains three active ingredients: 

• Hydroquinone - brightens dark spots.
• Tretinoin - promotes skin cell turnover, allowing brighter skin cells to surface.
• Hydrocortisone - a steroid that reduces any irritation or inflammation that can be caused by tretinoin and hydroquinone in patients with sensitive skin.

You can use our service if you're between the ages of 18 and 70 years old and you have defined areas of dark spots on your skin. Our medical team can help with dark spots related to specific conditions such as postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), melasma, and solar lentigines (age or liver spots).

We recommend you see a healthcare provider in person if:

• you want to lighten your overall skin color, rather than lighten specific dark spots.
• your dark spots are caused by something other than PIH, melasma, or solar lentigines.
• it’s not in your best interest to use Lemonaid Health based on what you tell us about your health history or symptoms.

Our doctors and nurse practitioners can treat dark spots based on your history, symptoms, and a skin exam through the photos you submit. Our medical team follows strict guidelines to make sure we only treat you when it's safe and appropriate to do so. It’s important that you answer our questions fully and truthfully, and read any information we provide.

If, for any reason, our doctor or nurse practitioner thinks it’s not safe to treat you or that you may need a more detailed examination or a skin biopsy, then we’ll ask you to see a provider in person.

1. Create a Lemonaid Health Account. 
2. Complete our simple health questionnaire.
3. Upload photos of your face and any other areas of skin that have dark spots. Make sure you follow the instructions and provide close-ups if needed.
4. Save your payment information - we won’t charge your card until after your consultation. Many HSA/FSA cards can be used at checkout.
5. Complete a short consultation with a Lemonaid Health doctor or nurse practitioner. A phone call may be required depending on your state.

Our providers will then follow strict guidelines to decide if treatment with medication is safe and appropriate for you. 

If we prescribe dark spot treatment, your cream will be shipped directly to you from our partner pharmacy.

You’ll typically need to apply the cream for at least 3 months to start seeing benefits.

There are risks and benefits to taking any medication. It’s important to answer our health questionnaire fully and truthfully so that our providers can help you make an informed decision about whether the benefits of a medication outweigh the potential risks. 

The medications we prescribe are effective when used correctly. Please read the information we provide in your treatment plan to learn more about the risks and benefits of treatment.

In addition to our treatment, you can focus on lifestyle changes such as wearing sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) and wearing protective clothing to avoid exposing your skin to sunlight.

Avoid picking at acne lesions or scabs, as this can damage the skin further and create dark spots.