This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WPUNJ chapter.

Dark spots on your face can be an absolute nightmare, and if you’re someone with hyper-pigmentation, they’re inevitable. Many people tell you how to prevent them, but not necessarily how to get rid of the ones that are already there. No one wants to be stuck walking around with unsightly marks on their face, so this article is here to help you! Here are some tools, products, and services you can use to erase those unwanted dark spots.

Exfoliator Brush

Using an exfoliator brush in conjunction with your facial cleanser to gently remove the old, dead skin from your face allows your new skin to shine through, and your face will feel clean and refreshed.

Some brushes at a couple different price points are the Clarisonic, Olay Brush, Spin for Perfect Skin, and store brand exfoliator brushes.

Physical/Chemical Exfoliator

Physical exfoliators typically have the beads that you can feel rubbing against your face, while chemical exfoliators are usually smooth and creamy. Both can work very well, but if you have sensitive skin you might want to use a chemical exfoliator because physical ones can be too abrasive. These will infuse various vitamins in your skin to encourage skin renewal and dissipate the darkened pigments in your face.

Different exfoliators can do different things, but the Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Even & Bright Scrub by St. Ives, Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid by Paula’s Choice, and SkinActive Clearly Brighter Argan Nut Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser by Garnier are made to fade dark marks and even out your skin tone.

Spot Fading Creams

Fading creams lightly polish away the outer most layer of skin to reveal the layer underneath. You may see your skin get worse before it gets better because the layer of your skin with the dark marks on it is coming to the forefront. However, you will see your skin improve over time.

These creams are good, but you want to steer clear of the ones that have any bleaching elements. SkinActive Clearly Brighter Brightening & Smoothing Daily Moisturizer SPF by Garnier, Clarant B3 Dark Spot Correcting Cream by Pond’s, and Rapid Tone Repair Dark Spot Corrector by Neutrogena are good options for people of all skin colors.

Witch Hazel

This toner has proven time and time again to fade stubborn dark marks, and it is affordable and easy to find at any drug store or grocery store. It also helps balance your oils, cleanse your skin, and decrease the number of white heads in your skin.

Chemical Peel

Even though chemical peels can be costly, and they leave your face peeling for a few days, they are known to give pretty remarkable results. Chemical peels can be irritating for the skin, so if you have sensitive skin, these may not be for you. They go very deep into the layers of your face to extract everything bad, so the process can be fairly taxing on your skin. Look for local facilities that will perform this service for you.

Drink water

I know this is incredibly cliché, but it’s true. Drinking water flushes out the toxins in your body, which promotes the creation of healthy skin over the top of your dark spots. Plus, water helps the rest of your body do pretty much everything, so there’s that, too.

Some honorable mentions are face masks and peels, aloe vera, lemon, and even potatoes because they are all known to also diminish the appearance of hyper-pigmentation.

If you combine at least a few of these methods for fading dark marks, you are sure to see some results in as little as four weeks. As long as you keep a consistent routine, your skin is sure to improve!

6 Ways to Get Rid of Dark Spots