About Freckles

Freckles are darkened spots of skin pigment that are caused by exposure to the sun. While many people think they are cute and add to a person's individuality, some who have freckles think of them as a nuisance. Getting rid of them requires considerable expense.

Significance

When a significant amount of melanin collects under the skin, a freckle is produced. Melanin is produced by melanocytes, and these cells are triggered to produce the melanin by overexposure to the sun. The sun actually damages the melanocytes, causing them to place the melanin on the top layer of epidermis where it can be seen as a spot that is darker than the surrounding skin.

Types

Freckles fall into one of two categories, simple or sunburn. The simple freckles are small and round, while the sunburn freckles are darker and tend to be larger in size with jagged edges. As the name suggests, sunburn freckles are caused by sunburns and are mostly seen on the shoulders and back, where people are more lightly to be burned. The simple freckles are produced by gradual exposure to the sun.

Prevention/Solution

The easiest way to prevent or lighten freckles is to limit direct sun exposure. This doesn't mean to stay out of the sun at all times, but to avoid the sun during peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You should always were a sunscreen with at least an SPF 30. Wearing a hat that shades your face and clothing that covers areas susceptible to sun exposure is a good idea as well. The most successful treatment for the removal of freckles is laser treatment. This can range from $300 to $5,000 per treatment, depending on the type of freckle treated and the laser treatment being used.

Misconceptions

Some people call the freckles that appear on older adults liver spots or age spots. These spots are usually seen on the part of the hand that is exposed to the sun but may be found on the forehead and other facial areas as well. These are freckles just like the ones that are seen in young people. There is nothing wrong with the person's liver and they usually appear on areas that have received frequent exposure to the son over the person's lifetime.

Warning

In some cases there may be a precancerous lesion present on skin that is covered with freckles, and the lesion is difficult to detect. A dermatologist will be able to spot these lesions. Before any laser treatment is performed, a doctor should thoroughly examine the skin for anything that could be precancerous or cancerous and send such spots for further testing. Once an area has been treated with a laser, any dangerous spot will have undergone changes that may render it unrecognizable as cancer.

Resources

• Freckles