How to Get Rid of Freckles - Natural ways to get rid of freckles
Freckles are a feature many of us are born with, or some of us develop after exposure to the sun, particularly during the summer time. While we can see our freckles as beautiful or unique, not everyone is a fan of them, and some people would rather remove them from their skin if possible.
Of course, it’s important to understand that this is a personal choice which you should make, and you shouldn’t feel like freckles make you any less pretty. However, if you want to know how to remove them, you’re in the right place.
What are freckles?
Before we start to remove our freckles or begin to even think about how, it’s always good to understand exactly what they are, as this can help you. If you’re here, you’re probably already aware that freckles are pigmented spots found on your skin, which are slightly darker in color than the rest of your skin. They can be found alone, dotted around sparsely in areas, or found in large clusters on your face or body.
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Those with fairer or paler skin tone tend to be more prone to having freckles, and the likelihood of this can also be increased by genetic. They can begin to appear around the age of two or three and then for the rest of your life. Some people naturally have lots of freckles, regardless of their level of sun exposure, while others only appear after spending time outside.
How are Freckles caused?
They are caused as a result of an overproduction of melanin in the areas they’re found and freckles themselves are completely harmless. Melanin is the pigment found in our skin and hair which determines skin tone and hair color and is also accountable for a suntan.
When you’re exposed to the ultraviolet rays that are emitted by the sun, your melanocytes (small structures beneath the surface of the skin) produce melanin, and this darkens the skin in order to protect it from any UV damage.
A similar concept is applied for freckles that come out after being in the sun, however, this process only takes place in certain areas rather than all over, like a tan.
Can I remove my freckles?
Of course, it’s worth knowing whether it’s actually possible to remove your freckles before attempting to do so, and this can vary from person to person. We already mentioned that people can either have freckles due to sun exposure or just genetics and so success rates of freckle removal can differ.
If your freckles have appeared as a result of sun exposure, they likely appear seasonally and fade during the winter, and the process of fading them can be sped up using different methods (as we’ll mention later), so you can remove your freckles.
However, it’s also important to remember that freckles may be difficult to remove completely by yourself, and it’s much easier to just achieve a faded appearance.
How can I remove my freckles?
When it comes to removing your freckles, there are a variety of methods out there for you to use, and they all use a similar concept. As previously mentioned, freckles caused by sun exposure tend to fade after a lack of sunshine, and that’s down to your skin’s process of cell turnover, meaning that the skin is constantly replacing itself, each cell at a time.
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Over time, you can find that your freckles disappear, just like a suntan would, as the cells which had been pigmented by the melanin are replaced by cells that match the rest of your skin tone, and therefore your freckles fade.
Exfoliation
By using products that encourage the process of cell turnover, known as exfoliants, you can speed up this process to reveal a more balanced, even complexion, and fade your freckles.
An exfoliating product removes the top layer of dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, and this encourages your skin to speed up cell turnover, resulting in faster results, and therefore, fading your freckles at a faster rate.
Cosmetic Treatment
One option for removing freckles from the skin is laser treatment, which is a professional method used to tackle pigment irregularities in the skin and can prove useful for freckles. Many laser professionals will offer a service specifically for freckles removal, and target the face, neck, or rest of your body, and charge you per session.
Generally, you may require a few sessions to remove your freckles completely, but the laser will usually be the best chance for removing them completely, rather than just fading them, and there’s no apparent risk of scarring.
Exfoliation Mask
Usually, your freckles will now be removed permanently, as long as you protect your skin appropriately from the sun to prevent them from re-developing due to sun exposure. The only catch with a laser treatment like this is that it can be costly, so it’s worth a consultation and some research beforehand if you’re interested.
If you’re on a tighter budget, chemical peels aren’t your only option in the way of exfoliation, and at-home exfoliation treatments are available, too. For example, you could find an exfoliating mask that incorporates AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) to loosen the skin cells and remove dead cells from the face.
You can also find exfoliating scrubs for the face and body. With both of these options, it will take a little patience and time before you start to see results, and it’s important that you remember to continue to protect your skin from the sun to prevent damage.