You can easily lose hours and rack up debt on chemical peels, trips to the dermatologist, and fancy pigment-fading creams in the name of spot-free skin. But while most of those methods are effective ( and pro-approved ), they aren't the end-all-be-all for treating the condition. "Products containing hydroquinone, tranexamic acid, kojic acid, and arbutin all help to treat hyperpigmentation," says Corey L. Hartman , MD, a dermatologist at Skin Wellness Center in Alabama. "Glycolic and salicylic acid also increase exfoliation and help to treat the acne that can lead to hyperpigmentation."