Getting rid of freckles is easier to do today than years ago. Several methods are available to either lighten or remove them from the skin. Freckles are the small flat red, tan or brownish discolorations that appear on the skin. Usually an issue with light skinned individuals, freckles can affect many. The two types of freckles are ephelides or simple freckles and solar lentigines or freckles caused by sun damage. While all freckles are a result of sun exposure, the simple freckles can begin as early as age one or two and can be genetic, while solar lentigines may begin in adulthood as a result of repeated insults to the skin by the sun.
Getting rid of freckles takes time and patience. With any freckle removal therapy the most important step to the consistent use of sunscreen. Sunscreen and sun block deflect the harmful rays of the sun keeping the color producing cells in the skin from overproducing and causing the brown discolorations.
One of the methods to lighten freckles is topical solutions. Skin bleaching creams and retinoids are available in over the counter version or by prescription. Prescription strength bleaching creams such as hydroquinone are used to inhibit the production of melanin, the substance that makes the color in skin. These will lighten the freckles. Following the directions for use needs to be followed meticulously in order to achieve the desired results. The conscientious use of sunscreen will add to the benefits of any freckle treatment.
Chemical peels use concentrated solutions of chemicals applied to the skin surface to etch off the top layers of skin. The results will lighten the discoloration of freckles making them appear lighter and in some cases remove them completely. The stronger the chemical peel the more recovery time is needed with some required up to a week or more of downtime.
Lasers and Intense pulsed light (IPL) are reported to be the most effective methods to remove freckles. Wavelengths of light are selectively absorbed by the discolorations, which are then heated and destroyed. The surrounding tissue is then left intact. Some lasers for resurfacing such as fractional lasers will also remove surface tissue, initiating new skin cell growth, even pigmentation and stimulation of collagen for firmer tissue. The more aggressive the laser treatment the more downtime is needed. |
