Because they were forming all summer and you could not see them. Pigment builds under the skin during UV exposure, and it only becomes visible by contrast once your tan fades — which is why so many people first notice their dark spots in September.
What is actually happening
Ultraviolet light triggers melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment, to make more melanin. That is not damage in itself. It is your skin defending itself, and a tan is the visible result.
The problem is that the response is uneven. Some areas produce far more pigment than others, and areas that have been damaged before produce more still. Over a Florida summer that unevenness accumulates in patches, deeper than the surface, where an overall tan hides it.
Then the tan fades. The background lightens, the patches do not, and suddenly there is contrast where there was none. Nothing new appeared in September. It became visible in September.
Why sunscreen alone will not fix it
Sunscreen is the single most useful thing you can do for your skin, and it is not the answer to this particular problem.
Sunscreen prevents new pigment from forming. It does nothing to remove pigment that has already been deposited. If you have spent the summer accumulating melanin in uneven patches, daily SPF from today forward stops the situation getting worse — it does not undo what is already there.
The same is true of most brightening products. They can help with very superficial discolouration and support results over time, but pigment sitting deeper in the skin needs something that reaches it.
What actually removes existing pigment
Two categories of treatment, and which one you need depends on how deep the pigment sits.
Surface-level unevenness — dullness, mild patchiness, rough texture holding on to discolouration — responds to resurfacing. A ZO Glow chemical peel or a course of medical-grade facials lifts the layer that is holding it.
Deeper pigment — defined sun spots, age spots, the patches that have not shifted in years — needs energy that reaches below the surface. That is what the Aerolase Neo Elite does. Its pulse breaks up the pigment so your body can clear it, in sessions of twenty to thirty minutes with no numbing and no downtime.
Its 650-microsecond pulse is short enough to deliver that energy without heating the tissue around it the way traditional lasers do — which is also why it is safe and effective on every skin type and tone. That matters here, because deeper skin marks more readily and has historically had the fewest safe options.
Most people with real post-summer pigment need some of both. Individual results vary.
Why September specifically
Two reasons, and they compound.
Your skin holds the result. Every pigment treatment works against ongoing sun exposure. Treat in June and you spend the following months undoing your own progress. Treat in September, with less intense sun ahead of you, and the result stays.
The rules are easier to follow. Both peels and laser require you to stay out of direct sun before and after treatment. That is a difficult ask in a Jacksonville July. It is a straightforward one in October.
This is not a marketing season. It is the physiologically correct time of year to do this work.
Where to start
If your spots are new and faint, start with a facial and proper daily SPF and reassess in six weeks.
If they have been there for more than a season, or they are defined rather than diffuse, a consultation will tell you what you are dealing with — including whether it is sun damage at all. Melasma, for instance, looks similar and behaves very differently, and treating it as ordinary sun damage can make it worse.
That distinction is exactly why the first step is someone looking at your skin rather than you choosing a treatment from a menu.
Common questions
Will they fade on their own? Eventually, some of them, partially. Post-inflammatory marks often fade over six to twelve months. True sun spots frequently do not, and each summer adds more.
Is this the same as melasma? No, though they look similar. Melasma is hormonally driven, tends to appear in symmetrical patches across the cheeks and forehead, and can worsen with heat as well as light. It needs a different approach — which is why identifying it correctly comes first.
Can I treat pigment if I have a tan right now? Usually you will be asked to wait until the tan has faded. Treating actively tanned skin raises the risk of an uneven result. It is another argument for starting in autumn rather than at the end of summer.
How many sessions will I need? It depends on depth and how long the pigment has been there. A consultation gives you a real number rather than a guess. Individual results vary.
Does it hurt? Aerolase requires no numbing. Most people describe a brief warmth. A chemical peel produces tingling during application and some light flaking for a few days afterwards.
Book Your Free Consultation
Twenty minutes with a licensed esthetician at Meridian Medical Spa in Jacksonville. We will tell you what your pigment actually is and where to start — even if the answer is not a treatment.