Our top picks: Best Overall: Skinceuticals Discoloration Defense, $108. Best for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin: Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Retinol + Vitamin C Dark Spot Corrector, $29.

This essential trio gently resurfaces skin, smooths rough texture, and reduces the appearance of post-acne dark marks while protecting skin from UV rays without clogging pores or causing breakouts.

Just because your blemishes are gone doesn't mean you need the dark mark reminders of what was once there. Now there's a hydroquinone-free formula designed to diminish the appearance of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, even skin tone, soothe redness and hydrate the skin.

Our top pick for the best dark spot corrector overall is the Hyper Skin Brightening Dark Spot Vitamin C Serum. Formulated with a mix of vitamin C, kojic acid, and hyaluronic acid, this skincare formula is designed to target stubborn blemishes caused by acne scarring and sun damage.

Laser Treatment Your doctor can use narrow beams of light to get rid of the cells that are causing your age spots without damaging the rest of your skin. You'll probably need more than one treatment for it to work. Lasers might make your skin crust at first or darken your spots.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends the following treatments for dark spots in skin of color:

• 2% hydroquinone.
• azelaic acid.
• glycolic acid.
• kojic acid.
• retinoids, such as retinol, tretinoin, adapalene gel, or tazarotene.
• vitamin C.

While these are not necessarily permanent and can fade over time with some lifestyle changes (read: stay out of the sun), there are an exorbitant number of the best dark spot correctors that can speed along the process.

You may break out more at first as your skin purges the deeper layers of "gunk" that rise to the surface. But as the weeks go on, you may notice your pores will be less clogged, your blemishes will start to heal and your skin will start to clear up.

• Organic Harvest Active Luminosity Anti Pigmentation Face Cream.
• The Derma Co 2% Kojic Acid Face Cream for Pigmentation Removal.
• Gorgesqin Anti Pigmentation Cream.
• RE' EQUIL Skin Radiance Cream.
• Mamaearth Bye Bye Blemishes Face Cream.
• Vaadi Herbals Lemongrass Anti Pigmentation Massage Cream.

Laser peel This is a laser therapy done by a specialist. The hyper-pigmented areas are targeted by laser beams to destroy the melanin pigment. It is also known as the resurfacing treatment. There are two types of laser therapy - ablative and non-ablative.

Some potential options include:

1. Laser therapy: This involves a dermatologist using a beam of light to target areas of discoloration.
2. Chemical peels: Professional chemical peels are stronger versions of OTC acid exfoliants.
3. Microdermabrasion: This exfoliating treatment uses minuscule particles to remove dead skin cells.

Age Spot Procedures If you want to get rid of dark spots fast, a procedure that removes layers of discolored skin may work better than a lightening cream. These techniques include laser treatments, freezing (cryotherapy), dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, microneedling, and chemical peels.