Brown spots from sun damage on my face; can I get rid of them?

It could be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melasma You can fade melasma with hydroquinone cream cream (most effective is prescription strength). The trick is that you must wear high-level SPF sunblock to preserve the lack of extra pigmentation. Even a few hours outside with no sunblock protection can make all of the dark spots come back.

I think going to a cosmetic dermatologist might be your best best, but you can check out some suggestions floating around http://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/. It seems to be a nice place and the people responding to questions are very helpful. They're going to recommend religious use of sunscreen right off the bat, which is never bad advice, but there are detailed explanations there for things like AHA creams, dermarollers, and prescription-strength options. People have posted their experiences with laser treatment as well. Good luck!

Seconding vitamin C. I've also heard AHAs work, but you absolutely must wear sun protection when using them. In addition to _______'s skincare addiction suggestion, I'm going to suggest http://www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/ because Asian skin care is also relatively affordable and has a lot of variety. You might be interested in topics like http://www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/comments/2cw35e/best_brightening_creams_that_actually_work/. You should search for "brightening."

Whatever you do, be sure to bee aggressive with using sunscreen, or they'll reoccur. According to my dermatologist, here are the options, in order of invasiveness: 1. Topical treatments. She recommended Vitamin C in the AM and hydroquinone and retinol at night 2. Chemical peel/microdermabrasion combo 3. Lasers She also recommended saving lasers for fall/winter as the sun is less powerful then. She gave me prescription hydroquinone and retinol, but there are over the counter options too. I'd start with those now, and then introduce a monthly peel/microdermabrasion regimen. If you're not happy with the results in six months, go for laser.

One dietary tip to share: Nicotine causes moles and dark spots to appear on the skin. I have never smoked, but I am fond of eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes and all of them have nicotine, especially eggplant. Once I stopped consuming eggplant, my moles and dark spots have gone away. It takes a few months. Also, eating carrots and oatmeal have made my skin a lot smoother and softer, and both have Vitamin A and colloidal compounds that are beneficial for skin. Medline Plus (National Library of Medicine) lists medical studies on nicotine and nevus (moles) just so you don't think I'm getting this out of thin air.

Two of my friends had IPL treatments and had a lot of success with getting rid of brown spots. It sometimes takes 2-3 treatments but it works really well.

I have had great luck with http://www.clinique.ca/product/1693/9287/Skin-Care/Uneven-Skin-Tone/Even-Better-Clinical-Dark-Spot-Corrector/Prescription-strength-power-over-dark-spots.

(I've also never been 'into' makeup or products but about a year ago decided to start trying some things out.) I have had good luck reducing age-related blotchiness on fair skin with the following combination of OTC products: benzoyl peroxide 2.5% twice/day (I get it at acne.org); Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Deep Moisture Clarifying Cream (at least once/day - I really love this stuff); Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Purifying Foaming Cleanser (1-2x/day); and I rotate in various moisturizers, toners, etc. - but I stick with at least those 3 things. It took several weeks being super consistent before I finally felt like it was doing something. I've also been trying Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate with 10.5% vitamin C - I *think* it is helping, but can't say for sure yet. And for a smooth-looking foundation I really like Lancome Teint Visionnaire Skin Correcting Makeup Duo - you'll probably need to go to a Sephora or elsewhere to get help finding the right tint/color for your skin. It's the smoothest looking daily foundation I've found.

Oh! And summer is NOT the time to try hydroquinone and chemical peels!