What causes freckles?
Increased melanin production in certain skin cells causes them to darken. They appear as a scattering of spots on the surface of the skin. The formation of freckles is believed to have a strong link between heredity and sun exposure. In general, people with lighter skin tones, red hair, and blue (green) eyes are genetically more prone to freckles than others. Heredity indeed plays a key role here. “Is it possible to get rid of freckles?” you ask. Yes, there are several ways. Here are just a few of them.
Other causes of pigmentation
However, age spots can be seen in people of all ages. Pigmentation can appear at any age, even in those people who did not encounter the problem of freckles in childhood. This pigmentation is not associated with heredity.
Causes of pigmentation:
- Excessive solar radiation. Sometimes freckles appear at the site of a sunburn or after too much tanning on the beach or in a solarium.
- Hormonal fluctuations. Very often, age spots on the face appear in pregnant women. As a rule, this is a temporary phenomenon; after hormonal balance is restored, the spots lighten and disappear. The cause of pigmentation may be improper functioning of the thyroid gland or adrenal glands.
- Diseases of the digestive system . Most often, age spots appear on the skin due to liver diseases.
- Cosmetic procedures . Some cosmetic procedures performed incorrectly lead to pigmentation. For example, this result can be obtained if you resort to peeling too often.
- Lack of vitamins . Sometimes the cause of spots is a lack of certain vitamins. In particular, ascorbic and nicotinic acid.
- Medications . Some antibiotics and hormonal drugs significantly increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight, which leads to the appearance of pigmentation.
- Age . Senile lentigo is a pigmentation that appears with age. Most often, such spots appear on the hands. The reason for its appearance is associated with hormonal age-related changes.
Unlike regular freckles, age spots have jagged edges and different shapes. They can have different sizes and colors.
Chemical peeling
If you don't want to waste time on home remedies for depigmentation, chemical peeling is the way to remove the top layer of skin.
This is not a very expensive but very effective way to reduce the appearance of freckles. Chemical peels are most often used on the face, but they are also used on the hands.
These peels come in three different types: superficial (to remove the top layer of skin), medium (to penetrate deeper into the skin and remove more layers), and deep (to remove even more layers of skin).
After the procedure, your skin will need 2-3 days to recover. Peeling sessions should be performed only after consultation with a dermatologist and no more than 2 times a year.
How to remove freckles from your face?
Most cosmetic products for eliminating freckles are aimed at lightening pigmentation. Many salon procedures can completely remove freckles from the face.
The main stain removal methods include:
Cosmetics with whitening effect
Masks and creams with the active ingredient hydroquinone have the ability to even out skin tone and remove age spots.
With regular long-term use of such products, freckles gradually fade and then completely disappear from the skin.
Drug treatment of freckles
Drug treatment for freckles involves the use of retinoids.
Preparations containing high levels of vitamin A analogue are taken only as directed and under the supervision of a dermatologist.
Treatment with such medications requires special caution: the sun should be avoided during the course, as retinol increases the photosensitivity of the skin.
Women should not become pregnant within a year after stopping taking such medications. The effect of retinoids is expressed in eliminating excessive pigmentation, smoothing the skin, and removing acne.
Cosmetic peelings
Cosmetic peelings are used in a beauty salon and consist of exfoliating the top layer of skin using acid-containing preparations.
After removing the surface cells, a lower layer of skin remains that does not have increased pigmentation.
Phototherapy
Phototherapy – phototherapy procedures involve exposing the skin to short-term flashes of broad-spectrum light, during which the pigment is lightened and other epidermal defects are eliminated.
Laser therapy
Laser resurfacing is the most effective and modern way to combat freckles.
During the procedure, the effect on pigment cells occurs due to the operation of a laser beam, which has the unique ability to specifically eliminate skin defects without affecting the surrounding tissue.
All these methods are quite effective, but they are considered “serious” treatment and, as a rule, require significant material costs. But you can solve the cosmetic problem yourself, with the help of well-known folk remedies for freckles.
Using a laser
Ladies interested in how to get rid of freckles on their face forever can turn to laser therapy. When it is used, the blood vessels under the freckles are burned, and the brown spots completely disappear. If you can accept the fact that after the procedure there will be bruises on your skin for several days and your face will be slightly swollen, contact the clinic. The price of laser treatment, which lasts up to 10 minutes, is affordable even for women with an average salary. Your healthcare provider may urge you to avoid certain medications or foods for several days before your procedure. Tell your doctor and cosmetologist about all skin products and medications you use. Recovery from laser treatment can take up to two weeks. Several sessions are usually required to achieve the desired results.
To strengthen the effect of the therapy, use Excellent White Cream regularly later.
Causes of freckles in adults
Despite the common appearance of freckles on children's faces, many people have them already in adulthood. What does a large number of freckles mean? This cannot be ignored. Sometimes dark spots are a sign of a dangerous disease.
Let us highlight what causes the appearance of freckles.
Hormonal imbalance. Often observed in women due to ovarian dysfunction. This may also disrupt your menstrual cycle. In these conditions, it is better to consult a doctor.
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. This disease is accompanied by the appearance of hemp on any part of the body. It happens that when performing an ultrasound in the digestive organs, the doctor identifies polyps. Such benign formations turn into cancer in 20% of cases.
Diseases of the liver and biliary tract. In this situation, freckles are related to the bilirubin content. The body contains a lot of bile, which appears as spots.
Cosmetical tools
Most modern women are still wary of peelings, lasers and avoid the use of liquid nitrogen, considering these procedures to be extreme measures. At the same time, they do not really believe in the high effectiveness of home remedies. Such ladies can be recommended modern cosmetics - creams and serums that lighten the skin and give a rejuvenating effect (for example, Power 10 Formula Effekor serum).
Should I delete it?
Representatives of the stronger sex with this feature of appearance are usually philosophical about the presence of freckles. But girls are often very worried about this. Moreover, the peak appearance of ordinary freckles occurs in adolescence, when most girls are very acutely aware of the presence of any imperfections.
But there is no need to worry too much. Now there are many ways in which you can lighten freckles or even get rid of them forever. Of course, radical methods (for example, laser whitening or chemical peels to remove pigmentation) can only be used after adulthood. But folk methods can also help teenagers.
But before you start whitening freckles, you should consider that most methods that really effectively eliminate pigmentation are quite aggressive on the skin.
Side effects of this exposure may include:
- skin dehydration, peeling;
- early appearance of wrinkles due to excessive dry skin;
- the appearance of even greater photosensitivity, that is, intolerance to sunlight.
Therefore, you should think three times about whether it is worth removing freckles if this will result in earlier signs of aging. After all, the “ugliness” of freckles is often greatly exaggerated, and people around them find that spots on the nose add additional charm to one’s appearance.
But if freckles cause significant psychological discomfort, then you can try to get rid of them.
How to remove freckles with home remedies
Girls and women often ask how to get rid of freckles at home and whether it is easy to do. Yes, of course, but such procedures take a lot of time. In addition, freckles do not disappear completely, but only become less noticeable.
Recipe for freckles No. 1 - “With apple cider vinegar”
You will need some apple cider vinegar and natural honey (linden, flower, buckwheat). So, mix vinegar with honey (until paste-like) and leave on your face for 17 minutes. Wash. Lubricate your skin with whitening cream (for example, Excellent White Cream).
Malic acid exfoliates darkened cells, revealing lighter skin underneath freckles.
Remember that the procedure must be repeated daily. If the skin is excessively dry, it is better to use the mixture every other day.
Recipe No. 2 - “Vegetable with aloe”
Probably, many people have had a pot of aloe on their windowsill for a long time, a unique plant, a real “home medicine cabinet”. If you want to get rid of freckles quickly, apply some fresh aloe juice on your face and massage your skin for 2-3 minutes. Let the plant juice sit on your face for 10-20 minutes; then wash it off. Nourishing creams with aloe can be left on the skin overnight.
Aloe vera helps in depigmentation of dark spots and freckles on the skin. There is aloesin, which inhibits the pigmentation process.
Recipe No. 3 – “Soda”
This is the cheapest way to lighten freckles.
Mix castor oil (2-3 drops) with a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and apply the paste to the skin. Wait half an hour, rinsing off everything later with water at room temperature. The procedure should be done up to three times a day: baking soda quickly removes darkened skin cells.
Recipe No. 4 – “Banana”
This method will appeal to freckled banana lovers. After eating the fruit itself, do not throw away the skin. Rub it on your face and wait 10-12 minutes. Wash yourself.
Banana peel contains gluconolactone, which rejuvenates and brightens the skin. In addition, you will get an amazing tightening effect.
Recipe No. 5 - “Eggplant”
Take a fresh eggplant and cut a small slice up to 1 cm thick from it. Rub it on your skin and wait 15 minutes, then wash thoroughly. Eggplant contains vitamins A, B and E, as well as other antioxidants, which can lighten freckles and keep your skin healthy.
Recipe No. 6 - “Fruit”
Mix the pulp of one kiwi with 2-3 strawberries and apply everything as a mask on your face. Repeat the procedure up to 3 times a week, and in less than a month your skin will become significantly lighter. While the antioxidants found in kiwi protect the skin, the enzymes and vitamin C in strawberries help lighten freckles. With this product you will look younger.
Recipe No. 7 - “With turmeric”
The oriental spice turmeric can be used not only in cooking. If you are interested in how to get rid of freckles on your face, it can help make your skin brighter and clearer. To do this, mix a teaspoon of plant powder with a small amount of warm water to the consistency of homemade sour cream, and then apply it to freckled skin. After the paste has dried, it should be washed off and the skin should be lubricated with Beauty Style rejuvenating and whitening facial serum.
Recipe No. 8 - “Oils”
Rosehip, olive, avocado, tea tree, jojoba and... regular castor oils will also help remove freckles. Their daily use at night will give an excellent effect: after 6-8 days of their use, freckles will become lighter. In addition to the brightening effect, all these oils will tighten the skin of the face, refresh it, and help get rid of acne.
Recipe No. 9 — “Juice”
The so-called “juice therapy” will reduce the number of freckles on the face and rejuvenate the skin. You can use juices:
- lemon;
- Luke;
- tomato
Remember that you only need to use fresh fruit juices. When choosing onion juice, mix it with a small amount of apple cider vinegar: this will get rid of the specific smell. Such masks can be kept on the skin for no more than 20 minutes, otherwise your skin may become excessively dry. If this happens, lubricate your face with olive oil mixed with tea tree oil.
Reasons for the appearance of children's hemp
There is no specific time when hemp may appear on a child’s face. In some children they may appear before the age of 1 year. However, in many other cases it occurs between 4 and 6 years of age. As a rule, freckles appear with the arrival of the sun in spring.
Experts identify the main causes of freckles in babies:
Long exposure to the sun. When tanning, melanin is produced, which is not immediately distributed over the skin.
However, some girls and women, on the contrary, are interested in how to get freckles on the face. To do this, stay in bright sun for a long time, or use artificial dyes.
Genetic predisposition. In almost all cases, freckles are inherited due to hereditary nature. Therefore, there is no need to worry if your baby has pigments. The presented photo of freckles on the face indicates a simple genetic factor.
Failure of the gastrointestinal tract. Large dark brownish round freckles will appear on the face. If such spots are detected, it is better to take the child to a specialist.
Worms. If there are parasites in the body, hemp appears near the oral cavity. Other signs of invasion may also be observed. The child has a poor appetite or, conversely, a strong desire to eat. Sleep disturbances may occur, during which the baby behaves restlessly. Carefully examine your child's stool, as it may contain pinworms.
After the procedures - simple tips
Having learned how to remove freckles from the face, choosing one of the proposed methods, trying it out, be sure to consolidate the effect. To do this, try not to stay in the sun for a long time. When going to the beach, apply sunscreen SPF-50 or higher to your skin in advance. In everyday life, use natural creams with essential oils:
- cedar;
- tea tree;
- lemon;
- sandalwood;
- neroli;
- roses.
Since freckles are a result of genetics and sun exposure, avoid sunbathing frequently. Always use a good quality cream: protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Avoid going outside during peak hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and when walking outdoors, try to stay in the shade as much as possible.
What factors influence the amount and manifestation
What affects the appearance of small dark spots:
- ultraviolet radiation – provokes uneven distribution of pigment, even when using protective drugs;
- improper skin care: fair-skinned people need to use creams with a sunscreen filter of 30 SPF even in winter, since protective cosmetics prevent the negative effects of the sun and restore skin balance;
- heredity;
- diseases of internal organs.
Freckles or moles
Before carrying out any procedure to remove freckles, you need to determine exactly what you are actually going to remove - freckles or birthmarks, undergo an examination and find out the factors that contributed to their manifestation. Many patients cannot always differentiate between freckles and small moles. And such ignorance can be fraught with very dangerous consequences. Because in the vast majority of cases, moles can be removed only for medical reasons and, very rarely, at your own discretion, regardless of whether you like them or not. And this is not accidental, because if the removal of freckles does not pose any danger, except perhaps for their reappearance, then the removal of moles increases the risk of transforming them into a low-quality tumor.
Are freckles dangerous?
It rarely occurs to people with freckles that their special appearance can pose a threat to health. But freckles may conceal basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. In addition, the occurrence of ephelides is caused by such hereditary pathologies as neurofibromatosis and xeroderma.
If skin pigmentation appears that is similar in appearance to freckles, it is better to consult a dermatologist. Timely diagnosis and therapy will eliminate the development of serious complications. Especially people who do not have a predisposition to freckles should not neglect going to the clinic.
Methods of disposal
Disputes about the aesthetic appeal of freckled skin do not subside - hemp is seen as the seductiveness of a woman’s appearance, from time to time they are made the main object of makeup, and fashion brands produce decorative cosmetics for applying and emphasizing red spots. For those who don’t like hemp at all, you can try several ways to remove pigment spots from the skin:
- Cryosurgery – specialists at beauty salons use liquid nitrogen for removal.
- Chemical peeling using a complex of acids helps whiten the skin while simultaneously cleansing the epithelium of dead cells.
- Laser therapy fades spots and makes them less noticeable. The action of laser beams is considered safe for the skin.
- Photorejuvenation using light rays is the most painless procedure, after which the skin quickly recovers.
- Irradiation with quartz lamps - several sessions lead to exfoliation of the skin, with which it is possible to “remove” freckles.
The help of specialists from beauty salons is considered the most effective method of removal, but the procedures are expensive. Alternatively, you can use traditional medicine methods with natural ingredients for bleaching and whitening at home.
According to folk recipes, you can use rubbing with lemon juice, decoctions of strawberries, compresses from quince and grapefruit juice, viburnum lotions, masks with melon, decoctions of elecampane or white lily. A radical remedy is hydrogen peroxide with tooth powder. The effectiveness of traditional methods is lower than that of cosmetic procedures, but a positive result can be obtained by removing unnecessary spots at home.
Appearance color type
Freckles are mainly people of warm color types, the characteristic features of which are:
- hair is deep red, light brown with a straw tint, light chestnut, honey shades. On sunny days, it feels like your hair is shining.
- eyes are mostly gray, hazel, green, brown. There are also blue-eyed, freckled representatives of the fairer sex.
- the skin has a tendency to redness, often with a peach tint. People used to define such people as “blood and milk.”
Editor's choice: What kind of women do men fall in love with: secrets of seduction
Girls with a warm type of appearance are memorable, spectacular, bright. Freckles on their face and body have a brownish or orange tint.
Cosmetologists classify appearance with such characteristics as autumn and spring (contrasting, warm or soft) type. By correctly understanding her color type, a woman can make the spots on her face a highlight, highlight them advantageously, and make the right accent.
