Skip to main content
Undo the years of sun, restore clear, even skin.
Sun spots, age spots, rough texture, and dull, uneven tone are the visible record of years in the sun. At Renew MedSpa in Eagan, we treat sun damage with IPL and our Helix CO2 laser, clearing the spots and refreshing the skin, then help you protect the results.
Sun damage is exactly what it sounds like: the accumulated effect of ultraviolet light on your skin over the years. It is a leading cause of hyperpigmentation, and it shows up as sun spots and age spots, but also as rough texture, dullness, fine lines, and a general loss of clarity and evenness.
Most of what we think of as aging skin is actually sun damage. The good news is that a lot of it can be undone.
The encouraging part is that sun-damaged skin responds very well to treatment. We can clear the brown spots, smooth the texture, and bring back a brighter, more even tone. The key is matching the treatment to your skin and your goals, and then protecting your investment with good daily habits so new damage does not undo the work.
How sun damage happens
UVA and UVB
Two types of ultraviolet light reach your skin, and they damage it in different ways. UVA rays have longer wavelengths and penetrate deep into the dermis, driving aging changes and the brown spots we associate with sun damage. UVB rays are shorter and burn the surface layers, and play a major role in more serious concerns including skin cancer.
Both add up silently over the years, which is why sun damage often appears long after the time in the sun that caused it.
The signs you may notice
- Sun spots and age spots: flat brown spots on the face, hands, chest, and shoulders.
- Rough, uneven texture and a loss of smoothness.
- Dull, uneven tone and a tired-looking complexion.
- Fine lines and early laxity from collagen breakdown.
- Redness or broken capillaries in some skin.
IPL Photofacial
For classic sun damage, the brown spots and uneven tone from UV exposure, IPL is the treatment most people come in asking about, and it is genuinely well suited to the job. Broad-spectrum light is absorbed by the darker pigment, so sun spots and age spots darken, rise, and flake away over the following days.
On lighter to medium skin tones, IPL is an excellent choice for surface sun damage, with no real downtime aside from the spots looking darker before they flake off. One honest note: IPL clears the spots you have but does not stop new sun damage, so results are not permanent and daily sun protection is essential to keep them.
Explore IPLWhat IPL is great for
- Sun spots, age spots, and brown spots
- Broad, uneven tone from years of UV
- Quick sessions, no real downtime beyond temporary darkening
- A popular, accessible first step
- Best suited to lighter and medium skin tones
Sun damage is more than spots. Helix treats all of it.
IPL clears the brown spots. But sun damage is also rough texture, fine lines, and lost firmness, and that is where many people choose to upgrade to our Helix CO2 laser.
IPL Photofacial
Targets the brown spots and uneven tone with light. Excellent for surface sun damage with no real downtime beyond temporary darkening. It addresses color, but not texture, fine lines, or firmness, and it does not prevent new damage, so results are not permanent.
Explore IPL →Helix CO2 & 1570 Laser
Our advanced fractional laser treats the whole picture of sun damage at once: it clears pigment, resurfaces rough texture, softens fine lines, and rebuilds collagen for firmer skin. You do not just lose the spots, you get back smoother, fresher, more youthful skin.
Because its settings can be tailored precisely, Helix can also treat deeper skin tones that IPL cannot, using lighter, customized settings.
Explore Helix CO2 →Other treatments for sun damage
Depending on your skin and goals, we may use or combine these. Your plan is built at your free consultation.
CoolPeel + PDGF
A gentler CO2 resurfacing option that refreshes sun-damaged tone and texture with less downtime, with settings available for deeper skin tones.
Explore CoolPeel →Chemical Peels
Professional peels exfoliate sun-damaged surface cells and brighten dull, uneven tone, a safe option across many skin tones.
Explore Chemical Peels →Professional Skincare
Medical-grade antioxidants, brighteners, and daily SPF treat sun damage at home and, critically, prevent the new damage that would undo your results.
Explore Skincare →Treatment clears it. Prevention keeps it clear.
Here is the honest truth about treating sun damage: we can do beautiful work clearing your spots and refreshing your skin, but if new UV keeps reaching your skin unprotected, new damage will form. Treatment and prevention are two halves of the same plan.
The single most powerful thing you can do is wear a broad-spectrum SPF every day, rain or shine, indoors near windows included, since UVA passes through glass. Reapply when you are outdoors, add a hat and shade, and use medical-grade antioxidants to help your skin defend itself. These simple habits protect the investment you make in treatment and slow new sun damage from forming.
We will help you build a simple, realistic routine at your consultation, so your results last as long as possible.
Clearing up sun damage myths
Sun damage is just part of getting older
Much of what looks like aging, the spots, dullness, and rough texture, is actually sun damage, and a lot of it can be treated. Clearing it often makes skin look noticeably younger.
I only need sunscreen on sunny days
UVA reaches your skin on cloudy days and through windows. Daily broad-spectrum SPF is the single best habit for both treating and preventing sun damage, every day of the year.
Once I treat my spots, they are gone for good
The spots we clear are gone, but new sun exposure creates new ones. Results last when you protect your skin. Treatment plus daily prevention is what keeps skin clear long term.
Sun damage is only on my face
Hands, chest, neck, and shoulders often show heavy sun damage too. These areas can be treated as well, and we will assess all the areas that concern you at your consultation.
Sun damage FAQ
For brown spots and uneven tone, IPL is a popular and effective starting point on lighter to medium skin. Many people upgrade to our Helix CO2 laser, which also smooths texture and rebuilds collagen, treating the full picture of sun damage. We build the right plan at your consultation.
A great deal of it can be improved. We can clear sun spots, smooth rough texture, and brighten dull, uneven tone, and resurfacing also rebuilds some collagen. Combined with daily sun protection going forward, the improvement can be significant and lasting.
Not in the traditional sense. There is no real downtime aside from the treated spots looking darker for several days before they flake off, which is a normal part of the process. Most people carry on with their day right after.
The spots we clear are gone, but new sun exposure can create new ones, since IPL and laser do not prevent future damage. Daily SPF and good skincare are what protect your results over time.
Yes. The hands, chest, neck, and shoulders commonly show sun damage and can be treated. We will assess every area that concerns you and recommend the right approach at your consultation.
With a free consultation, ideally with our VISIA skin analysis, which reveals sun damage below the surface before it is even visible. We assess your skin and build the right plan. Book your consultation here.
Clearer, brighter, healthier skin
Years of sun do not have to be permanent. Let us clear the spots, refresh your skin, and help you protect it going forward, with a plan matched to you.
