Freckles are caused by excessive pigmentation and more frequently affect people with fair skin. These brown spots may be of 2 types; some freckles are only present during sunny seasons, while others are permanent. There are a lot of ways to get rid of freckles, including chemical treatments and natural solutions.
1. Bleaching Agents
Bleaching agents are often used to eliminate freckles. These agents contain acids that will affect the skin's pigmentation and result in a whitening of the skin. There are numerous formulas available, including creams and lotions. The main disadvantage of these bleaching solutions is that they can burn the skin and can cause scars.
2. Retinol Treatment
Retinol is also an efficient way to lighten or get rid of freckles. This solution should be applied topically and the treatment should be applied for a longer period of time. The risk of Retinol is that it may lighten the skin around the freckles but not the freckles themselves, which will make them more visible.
3. Chemical Peel
There are different types of chemical and deep peels that can be applied to remove freckles and age spots. The chemical solution can remove dead skin cells; the solution is prepared using alpha hydroxyl acids (AHA) or beta hydroxyl acids (which are weaker than the AHAs, but can penetrate deeper into the skin, giving more durable results).
4. Fractional Resurfacing
Fractional resurfacing employs laser beams to eliminate dark spots from the surface of the skin. This method can be effective in eliminating the freckles, but it can be costly and the recovery period can be longer than in other freckle lightening procedures.
5. Fraxel
Fraxel is a laser treatment that uses carbon dioxide beams to restructure the skin and eliminate age spots, freckles or scars.
6. Cryotherapy or Freezing with Liquid Nitrogen
Cryotherapy is a new technique that can eliminate freckles; the most recent technique employs liquid nitrogen. The treatment can have side effects such as leaving a white scar (hypopigmentation). This side effect may be only temporary, but is sometimes permanent and will be more visible in patients with darker skin.
7. Natural Remedies
There are several natural remedies that can be used to lighten freckles. These solutions may not eliminate the freckles completely, but will make them less visible.
- Sour milk can be applied on a daily basis, as the lactic acid can peel the skin and lighten freckles; sour milk will not cause side effects such as flakiness, as chemical peels do.
- Lemon juice contains citric acid, which is a natural bleaching agent; alternatively, parsley juice can be used.
- Castor oil can equalize skin pigmentation and can be applied overnight.
In addition to all these freckle removal procedures, sun must be avoided at all times, as the sun triggers the occurrence of freckles. Vitamin C is beneficial to making the skin less sensitive to sun. Get some vitamin C and vitamin E supplements.
