How to tell them apart
Check three things: where it sits, what its edges look like and how long it has lasted. A tan is even, stops at clothing lines and fades with time. Pigmentation shows up as patches or spots with clearer edges, and it stays for months even when you protect your skin.
- Where
- Tan: all sun-exposed skin. Pigmentation: specific spots or patches
- Edges
- Tan: blends in, with a line at the collar or strap. Pigmentation: often clearer edges
- How long
- Tan: fades once exposure stops. Pigmentation: can last 6 to 12 months or longer
- Cause
- Tan: sun. Pigmentation: sun, acne, irritation, or melasma
The first step is the same
Both tan and pigmentation start with sun protection. The American Academy of Dermatology says effective treatment for dark spots begins with sunscreen, and that a tinted one with iron oxide helps prevent and clear them. Keep products gentle as well, because irritation can leave new dark spots.
When to see a dermatologist
See a dermatologist if patches keep spreading, sit symmetrically on the cheeks, forehead or upper lip, or have not improved after months of sunscreen. These can be signs of melasma, which a dermatologist can diagnose and treat. Also get any spot checked that changes in size, shape or colour.
Get a routine for your own skin
Saundarya AI is an AI skin analysis and grooming app that reads a single selfie and returns a personalised report: face shape, skin type, detected skin concerns with the visual evidence behind them, a morning and night skincare routine, product picks at three budgets, and an 8-week improvement plan.
Generic advice is a starting point. A scan reads tan, pigmentation and where they sit on your own face, shows the visual evidence and a confidence score, and builds a morning and night routine around it. The first full analysis is free.
This is general cosmetic guidance, not medical advice. See a dermatologist for skin that is painful, spreading, scarring or not improving after 8-12 weeks.