Concerns · Dark Spots & Pigmentation
Dark Spots and Pigmentation, By Cause
Arviv Medical Aesthetics treats dark spots and pigmentation with PicoWay, chemical peels, resurfacing, and skin-tone-aware protocols in Miami, Tampa, and Ocala, under Dr. Tali Arviv, MD.
Understanding the Concern
Uneven Tone Has More Than One Cause
Dark spots and pigmentation come from several different sources at once. Years of sun exposure raise flat brown spots, hormones can drive melasma that sits deeper in the skin, and a healed breakout can leave a mark of its own. Treating pigment well starts with sorting out which of those is showing up on your face. Dr. Tali Arviv, MD ran lasers herself before medical school, and the skin-tone checks she built into these protocols apply at every office.
Read by Cause First
Sun spots, melasma, and the marks a breakout leaves behind can look similar at a glance but respond to different plans, so your provider reads which one is driving your skin before choosing anything.
Skin-Tone-Aware Settings
Laser and peel settings change with how much melanin your skin carries, so your plan is built around your tone rather than one default protocol applied to everyone.
Physician-Set Protocols
Dr. Tali Arviv, MD sets the pigment protocols at all three Florida locations, and every provider trains under those settings before touching a laser or a peel.
A Quick Decision Aid
Match the Mark to the Cause
Many faces carry more than one type of pigment at once, so treat this as a starting map rather than a prescription. The dermatology guidance on cosmetic skin concerns sorts pigment the same way, by cause before treatment.
| Feature | Sun Spots & Age Spots | Melasma | Post-Acne Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where we usually start | PicoWay or a chemical peel | A gentler peel or HydraFacial, with PicoWay layered in carefully if at all | Chemical peels or Microneedling RF |
| What it addresses | Surface-level marks that built up after years of sun exposure | Hormone-driven pigment that sits deeper and can rebound if it is treated too aggressively | Flat marks left once a breakout heals, separate from raised or pitted scarring |
| Typical downtime | Little to none for peels, minimal for PicoWay | Minimal, since melasma calls for a slower approach | A day or two of redness |
Not sure which column your skin falls into? Your provider examines your pigment in person and builds the plan around what they see, melasma included.
Book a ConsultYour Treatment Options
Six Ways to Even Your Tone
Each option below has its own page at every office that offers it. Pick the city you visit to read candidacy, recovery, and what a session involves.
Miami · Tampa · Ocala
Choose Your Location
Every treatment for dark spots and pigmentation runs at all three offices, under the same physician-set, skin-tone-aware protocols. Choose your nearest location to go straight to its pages.
Miami
3250 NE 1st Ave #504, Miami, FL 33137
Tampa
11329 Countryway Blvd, Tampa, FL 33626
Ocala
5481 SW 60th St Ste 201, Ocala, FL 34474
Patient Education
Read Before Your Consult
Two guides that go deeper than a treatment card can: how CO2 resurfacing works on pigment and scarring, and why intimate areas darken in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dark Spots and Pigmentation
What is the difference between sun spots and melasma?
Sun spots and age spots sit on the surface and build up after years of exposure, while melasma runs deeper and is driven mostly by hormones, so it needs a gentler, slower plan. Your provider tells the two apart at your consult before recommending PicoWay or a peel.
Can these treatments work on darker skin tones?
Yes, when the settings are matched to your skin. Deeper skin tones carry a higher chance of a laser or peel triggering new pigment instead of clearing it, so your provider adjusts the device, the peel depth, or reaches for HydraFacial where that fits better.
Will treating melasma make it worse?
It can, if the approach is too aggressive. Melasma often responds better to a slower plan, such as HydraFacial or a gentler peel, than to a stronger resurfacing pass, and your provider layers in PicoWay carefully if at all.
Do you treat dark spots in intimate areas too?
Yes. The same pigment-focused approach applies to darkening in intimate areas through intimate area lightening, handled at a private consult. Browse the full list of concerns if pigmentation is only part of what you want to address.
Still have questions?
Dark Spots & Pigmentation
A Plan Built Around Your Cause
Your provider reads whether sun exposure, hormones, or a healed breakout is behind your pigment, then matches the treatment and the settings to it.
Skin-tone-aware settings on every laser and peel, set by a physician-led team.