What are freckles and why we don't all have them
Freckles do not represent a pathology from a medical point of view, but they are simply small discolorations of the skin that make the face original. Most people who have them do not particularly like them and try in every way to cover or camouflage them.But before we demonize them, we want to let you discover in this video on "armocromia" why you should enhance your freckles instead of covering them with foundation or concealer.
What are freckles?
Freckles are small spots of variable color present permanently on the face or in other areas of the body, due to a proliferation of cells (melanocytes). They can appear on both the skin of men and women, especially preferring people with red hair and a fair complexion. Rarely, the phenomenon occurs, even in subjects of African origin.
Children can also be prone to freckles, although they rarely appear in this case; moreover, during puberty, freckles can increase or disappear (but this phenomenon is also seen in adulthood).
It is important not to confuse freckles with freckles, brown spots of irregular shape that occur only in the areas affected by the sun (décolleté and face). Freckles occur when the skin is in direct contact with sunlight, in fact they are more evident in summer, while in winter they tend to disappear and lighten.
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Main characteristics of freckles
Freckles are skin spots with a regular and rounded shape, smooth to the touch and with a color slightly darker than the skin tone, ranging from brownish to yellow-orange.
They can appear in some specific areas, or on the whole body, in any case the most subject areas will be: face, back of hands, shoulders and upper limbs, or all those areas most exposed to the sun.
It is good to underline that the manifestation of freckles is independent from exposure to sunlight, in fact, the spots can also appear in other areas of the body not exposed to the sun and, in some cases, can also appear on the mucous membranes.
Over time or as a result of incorrect and prolonged exposure to UV rays, freckles may undergo morphological alterations, increase in size and present irregularities on the contour and on the surface.
The most common causes of the appearance of freckles
In the dermatological field, freckles represent such a phenomenon that melanin is produced in a higher quantity than the norm and manifests itself through this "rash" on the epidermis.
In essence, freckles are nothing more than a local or generalized hyperpigmentation of the skin, linked to genetic factors, it is hereditary and is transmitted from parents to children.
Among the other causes of the onset of freckles there are hormonal variations: estrogens (female sex hormones), in fact, can cause a "hyper-production of melanin which manifests itself, in fact, as freckle. However, even in these cases, the underlying triggering cause is always to be found in the genetic predisposition.
Freckles and UV rays: are they related?
What, if any, is the correlation between freckles and UV rays? In a nutshell, freckles should not be confused with freckles, as we mentioned earlier, which are spots sensitive to UV rays. On the contrary, freckles do not depend on "sun exposure, but the latter" could still accentuate them.
In fact, the solar radiations, crossing the layers of the skin, are able to activate the melanocytes, responsible for the synthesis of melanin, which stimulate the increase of freckles which become darker and more numerous.
Freckles usually disappear in puberty because melanin production is rebalanced. Let's be clear: freckles occur especially in children as if they were a protection from the sun's rays. With growth, melanocytes become more stable and melanin production tends to stabilize, so freckles disappear because they no longer serve as protection.
Freckles, as already stated, are not a disease, if you are predisposed, you tend to burn more easily with the sun's rays; for this reason it is advisable to expose yourself to the sun using an adequate sun protection.
More effective remedies to treat freckles
Even if it is not a disease, many people who have them do not like freckles, considering them a cosmetic defect that must absolutely be eliminated.
In all these cases we are helped by research in the cosmetic and aesthetic field that has allowed the creation of products and the implementation of particular techniques to eliminate the spots so hated.
It is good to specify that all the treatments that we will mention below, could lead to results that are not always satisfactory and in any case different from individual to individual. Furthermore, it should be noted that they do not guarantee the permanence over time of the effect obtained following their execution. .
- Beauty treatments
There are many products on the market with a lightening action that can be useful in the "fight" against freckles. Depigmenting agents such as koijco acid can be used, or the dermatologist may recommend the use of chemical peels.
However, before resorting to any of the aforementioned products and treatments, it is always good to ask your doctor for advice, in order to exclude any contraindications to the use of lightening and depigmenting agents.
- Dermo-aesthetic medicine treatments
Many people would be willing to undergo any treatment just to see their skin finally free of entiggine. In this case, after careful consultation with the dermatologist, dermo-aesthetic medicine treatments can be performed, such as:
- Treatments with laser technology;
- Dermabrasion or microdermabrasion
- Diathermocoagulation (medical-surgical intervention that causes the destruction of tissues thanks to a high-frequency current stimulus; it is also used for simple warts and sores, and also for more serious problems such as pathological forms).
- Make-up and Cosmetics
Foundation, bronzer and concealer will become your best friends if you want to cover up freckles. In the summer, then,
to avoid worsening the problem, it is advisable to protect the skin from the sun and UV radiation with special creams equipped with sunscreens suitable for your phototype. Always remaining in the makeup field, a beauty trick to enhance freckles or create them if you don't have them, we reveal it to you in this article: fake freckles.
- Do it yourself natural remedies
To dull the appearance of freckles you can also consider some natural tips. Lemon is one of these, because it has the ability to lighten and could also act in this sense on freckles.
In popular tradition, it was believed that onions also caused a lightening effect when applied to the area, but there are no proven results in this regard.
In any case, before resorting to one of these natural methods to eliminate freckles, it is always good to seek the advice of your doctor, as sometimes it is very plausible to cause harm rather than benefit.
