What is Freckles?

 What is Freckles?

Freckles are small, flat brown spots that commonly present on sun-exposed area including face, neck, back, upper chest and upper limbs. It's also called as Ephelides. Freckles are result from the overproduction of melanin. It is usually found in those with fair and light skin

Causes of Freckles

1. Ultraviolet (UV) exposure

- Most of the freckles are caused by sunlight exposure

2. Genetic

- Several genes are associated with development of freckles

Prevention

Proper sun protection is essential in prevention of freckles

1. Sunscreen: sunscreen of SPF 30 and above

2. Wearing of hat/ long sleeve clothes under extreme sunlight

Treatment

1. Topical agents

• Retinoid cream

It is a vitamin A compound. It increases the skin turnover and also helps to stimulate collagen production. It can be found over the counter. However some might experience redness, dryness, skin irritation, peeling and sensitivity.

2. Chemical peel

It works via skin exfoliation, however it has downtime from its peeling effect and it will cause redness and irritation. Hence, proper sun protection and hydration is very important post chemical peeling.

3. Laser

Laser is one of most popular treatment modality to remove freckles. Aesthetic practitioner uses specific wavelength of light to target them precisely without harming the surrounding tissue.

• Q-switched Nd:YAG laser

One of the best options as the rapid pulses in nanosecond to break the melanin without causing damage to the surrounding tissue and skin 

eg. ruby, Ndyag 532nm

• Pico laser

It uses short, intense burst of energy to break up melanin to granules form

• Fraxel

It's a resurfacing laser that stimulates cell renewal. The results are visible however downtime is there and the recovery depends on the depth of the laser treatment.