When asked to describe her number one skincare issue, Shereene Idriss, MD, a dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology quickly replied, “Pigmentation, pigmentation, pigmentation.” She blames herself saying, “Truthfully, as a kid I used to get a sunburn in order to get some sort of color as both my sisters are shades of caramels and golden tones, whereas I was often compared to a pale chicken.” While light freckles started showing up in her mid twenties, she says it wasn’t under her early thirties and during her pregnancies that her “spots became more evident.”

In a similar boat? Luckily, Dr. Idriss has found the ideal skincare regimen—paired with the occasional in-office laser procedure, of course—to help keep the pigmentation under control. Here’s what she does.