Freckles or Ephelides usually refer to dark colored, round and flat spots that appear in the form of red spots on the skin. Freckles are more common on the faces of redheads and people with fair skin. As the saying goes, freckles are a sign of beauty, but not everyone would agree if their face was covered in a smattering of brown spots. Even a small cluster on the nose and cheeks is considered offensive by some wearers. Freckles range from approximately 2 mm to 4 mm and can appear all over the body.
Freckles form when melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color, accumulates beneath the skin. Freckles can appear brown, red, or tan. Genetics and sun exposure are the primary causes of freckles.
Role Of Genetics
Freckles are also influenced by genetics. If some members of the family have freckled skin, it is likely that others will as well. Eumelanin and Pheomelanin are two types of melanin that the human body can produce. The type of melanin produced by your body is determined by a major freckle gene known as MC1R.
Eumelanin, which is produced in people with dark skin, hair, and eyes, protects the skin from harmful UV rays. People with lighter skin, hair, and eyes produce more pheomelanin.
Sun Exposure
However, they are more commonly found in the areas of skin that are often exposed to the sun. Moreover, they are sensitive to ultraviolet sun rays, due to which they become all the more prominent after additional exposure to the sunlight.
Freckles are most commonly found on body parts that are frequently exposed to sunlight. This is why they are so prevalent on the face. However, freckles may appear on other body parts that are frequently exposed to the sun, such as the chest hands legs etc.
Nobody is born with freckles (you will not see a newborn baby with freckles), but they usually appear during childhood and then fade away as we get older. It's perfectly normal for your freckles to fade in the winter and darken in the summer.
What are the Types of Freckles?
Ephelides
The first classification Ephelides (singular ephelis, the Greek word for freckle) are red or light-brown flat spots that typically appear in the summer and fade in the winter. These types of freckles are most common in people with fair skin, and they are known to be hereditary (genetic) in some families.
Regular use of sunscreen during sun exposure helps to prevent the appearance of ephelis-type freckles. Regular use of sun protection creams and sprays is also a safe method of protecting the skin from the sun's harmful UV rays, which can cause severe sunburn or, worse, skin cancer.
Lentigines
Lentigines (singular lentig from the latin word for lentil) are small tan, brown, or black spots on young children that are darker than an ephelis-type freckle and do not fade in the winter. This type of spot is known as lentigo simplex. Although lentigines are occasionally part of a rare genetic syndrome, they are usually isolated and unimportant spots.
As you can see, freckles come and go. Before using unknown cosmetic brands to treat freckles, you should consult your doctor first. Many companies that promise miracle cures fail to deliver positive results. So be cautious whenever you use products you are unfamiliar with.
Home Remedies for Freckles
In most cases, freckles are absolutely harmless, as they do not cause any problems. However, there are several people who find red freckles on skin unsightly and therefore, adopt home remedies for freckles, in order to lighten them. Given below are some of the most common home remedies to remove freckles. Try the following treatments for freckles using natural ingredients available in your kitchen.
Lemon Juice
You can get rid of freckles with lemon juice. Lemon juice is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which help to inhibit melanin formation and brighten the affected area of freckles. It possesses anti-pigmentary and photo-reactive qualities that shield it from damaging UV rays.
Squeeze a lemon and use your fingers to apply the juice directly on the affected areas such as on chest and hands.
Licorice Extract
Licorice extract lightens dark spots and evens out skin tone. Licorice extract is also an effective herbal treatment for freckles. Glabridin, a polyphenolic flavonoid, is the main component of licorice extract, which is a tyrosinase inhibitor like lactic acid.
Take 1/2 teaspoon of licorice root and 4 teaspoons of jojoba oil to make this freckles on face treatment. Apply it to your brown skin spots on your face to remove the freckle spots fast.
Sour Cream
Apply some sour cream topically on the face or any other area where
freckles can be found. Leave the cream on for a while and do not wash it
off. Instead wipe it off gently, using some tissue paper. Top this
remedy off with a moisturizer for better results. You would gradually
notice a reduction of red freckles on the skin
Fruit and Vegetables Pack
Regular use of fruit and vegetable masks will help lighten freckles. To prepare this mask, you will need fresh vegetables such as cucumbers carrot and fresh fruits such as red currants, strawberries, and apricots. Make a mask by grinding these fruits and vegetables. Use these masks on the skin regularly, to lighten the freckles on face.
Milk
Lactic acid, present in milk can help peel the skin without any dryness or irritation. Apply some sour milk on the freckles, to have the skin there peel away. Soon fresh skin, free of freckles, should take its place.
Honey
To get rid of any red freckles on skin, apply some honey that has been heated slightly. Then wash your skin with first hot and then cold water. To make this remedy more effective mix some wheat germ to the warm honey, before applying it.
Papaya
Papaya contains papain enzyme, which is a great exfoliant for the skin that helps remove dead cells and lighten freckle spots. Place some papaya cubes in a blender and puree until smooth and free of lumps. Apply the paste to your red freckles on your face and neck in an even layer. Allow 20 minutes before rinsing with water.
Repeat the home remedy every other day until the freckles disappear. To fade brown spots on the face, use a cream that contains papaya.
Aloe Vera
Currants
Black currant is an extremely beneficial product with numerous purported curative and preventative properties. Mash a quarter cup of currants that are unripe and mix a tablespoon of honey that has not been pasteurized. Apply the mixture and leave it on for at least half an hour, before rinsing it off with warm water. This is one of the best remedies for getting rid of freckles and dark spots on face.
Freckles are often caused by the sun and therefore, it is best to use a strong sunscreen, of a good brand, before stepping out into the sun.
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