Freckles

How To Remove Freckles & Lighten Skin

Freckles are the result of genetics and are triggered by sun damage. Skin protects itself from overexposure to UV radiation by sending the brown pigment melanin to the surface. The normal, even dispersal of melanin gives us a sun tan. A freckle results when the melanin accumulates in one spot. Freckling is not abnormal. Skin pigment is made by cells called melanocytes. They don't produce much melanin during winter, but produce when exposed to the sun.           

When freckles are undesirable, many seek skin bleaching and lightening. Ingredients like Kojic acid and Alpha Arbutin have been shown effective at inhibiting melanin production, getting at the heart what causes freckles. The alternative to fading is removal. Surgical excision of a freckle is infrequent as scarring may be even more cosmetically unpleasing. Skin peeling strips away freckles and also surrounding skin over repeated sessions. Lasers are more targeted when used by dermatologists in frequent office visits. Insurance seldom covers freckle removal.

Freckles on the face, shoulders and any area exposed to the sun develop most often on light skinned people, red heads and also some darker skins. The tendency to freckle is inherited. A doctor will distinguish a harmless freckle (lentigo) from a malignant skin cancer (lentigo maligna). A spot that is not flat, is irregularly shaped, or contains more than one color may not be a freckle. Freckles are similar in nature to age spots and hyperpigmentation.

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