What are Freckles?
Freckles are more than just little patches of extra pigment on your skin. Believe it or not, these little tan and light brown spots are there because of the genes you were born with. They typically appear during childhood; you might get new ones into your twenties. Freckles are caused by an accumulation of melanin, the same pigment responsible for the colour of your hair, skin, and eyes. In some people, overexposure to the sun causes an uneven distribution of melanin in the skin, causing freckles. But freckles are not the same as sunspots.
What Causes Freckles & Brown Spots?
A mixture of genetics and sun exposure causes freckles. If you have light skin or red or blonde hair, you’re probably more predisposed to get them. However, they can still appear on darker skin but might be less noticeable.
There are two kinds of freckles. The ones you get when you’re young are called ephelides, which are genetic and sometimes go away as you age. The other type of freckle is called a liver spot or brown spot. The technical term for these spots is solar lentigines. These show up as you get older due to sun exposure and are more common as you age. Unlike the freckles you get as a kid, these typically don’t fade away.
So what can you do about them? At Skin Technique’s Vancouver clinic, we have several procedures that can significantly decrease their appearance and leave you with refreshed, youthful-looking skin that can undo years of sun damage.
Freckle Removal Solutions At Skin Technique
Forever Young BBL™ Laser
While your genes may partially determine whether or not you end up with freckles, our Forever Young BBL Laser treatment can undo years of sun damage and eliminate all unwanted freckles and brown spots. It works because the BBL laser delivers light energy into your skin, stimulating and regenerating skin cells and leaving it looking clearer, smoother, and younger. The immediate results are excellent and can last indefinitely with regular maintenance treatments.
HALO™ Fractional Resurfacing
The Halo Laser is a revolutionary fractional resurfacing treatment at our Vancouver clinic that is used to treat some of the most common skin damage problems, including sun damage, aging, discolouration, uneven skin tone and scarring. Skin Technique is the only clinic to offer the innovative Halo laser treatment in downtown Vancouver.
Microneedling
Microneedling can also work wonders on your skin by using tiny, fine needles to induce controlled damage that promotes the skin’s natural healing process. The increased production of collagen that results from the microneedling dramatically reduces the appearance of freckles and brown spots.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels are often done alongside the microneedling procedure as it’s a quick procedure (15 minutes) that significantly enhances the results of your treatment and improves your skin’s overall health. It removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin and can even remove parts of the skin that might have the extra pigment that leads to freckles.
Freckle Treatment Benefits
While your genetics may determine whether or not you get freckles or brown spots, our freckle removal solutions at Skin Technique can undo a lot of the sun damage that leads to them in the first place. Don’t let genetics decide whether or not you have unwanted freckles and brown spots. Our technology can eliminate them and leave your skin looking the way you want it to look.
Treatable Areas
While the face is the most requested area for treatment, we can eliminate freckles anywhere you have them. Some people may be bothered by how many of them they have on their chest, hands, shoulders, legs, or arms. We can treat all these areas with our freckle removal solutions at Skin Technique.
Freckle & Brown Spot FAQ
How Do You Get Rid of Freckles Naturally?
As freckles result from genetics and sun damage, they can be challenging to get rid of naturally. Makeup may reduce their appearance, but so-it-yourself remedies like lemon juice, sour cream and yogurt, papaya, aloe vera, and apple cider vinegar deliver inconsistent results – if they work at all.
How to prevent freckles?
While your genetic makeup may make freckles hard to avoid, if you have fair skin, you should avoid prolonged, direct contact with sunlight, and strong sunblock should be part of your everyday routine.
What causes freckles to appear suddenly?
If you are predisposed to freckles and spend a lengthy amount of time in the sun, you might suddenly see a patch of freckles appear. This is especially true if you’re recovering from an intense sunburn, which can also darken existing freckles.
How long does it take for freckles to appear after being in the sun?
If you have fair skin and have been unprotected in the sun for an extended period, you may start to notice new or darkened freckles within just a few hours. For some people, they may take days to show up. They gradually appear if you start spending more and more time in the sun during the summer months.
Schedule a treatment or learn more by contacting us.