beauty

freckles

Efelidi: What are they?

The freckles, also known as "red spots on the skin", represent only an appearance misunderstanding; as such, they do not reflect any kind of pathology: it is therefore wrong to think that the freckles portray extra-dermatological expressions.

Incidence

The freckles mainly affect those with red or blond hair and fair skin (phototypes I and II). Usually, they occur in children after the age of 6 and last for life, increasing in number with growth and increasing in the summer period.

Features

The freckles appear as red-brownish spots, lighter than the freckles with which they must not be confused (see: Freckles and freckles. What differences?).

The freckles may present different forms - usually oval or round - and usually do not induce the scaling of the skin, which appears smooth.

Usually, the freckles appear on the face (forehead, nose, cheekbones), on the neck, on the décolleté and on the chest, ie in those areas that are most exposed to solar radiation; while they do not occur at the level of the mucous membranes.

Causes

The freckles are transmitted as an autosomal dominant condition, therefore, the ability to develop this blemish is inherited from the parents.

They express a benign manifestation of the skin, related to a local hyperpigmentation and caused by an anomaly of the melanocytes (cells responsible for the color of the skin), which produce an excessive quantity of melanin pigment (melanin).

Ephelides and UV rays

Unlike freckles, freckles are very sensitive to solar radiation: in fact, they are affected by the change of season and are more pronounced and evident in case of exposure to the sun. In winter, when the sun's rays are less intense, there is a real regression of the freckles, to the point that they almost tend to disappear. The cause that triggers them lies in the UVA and UVB rays, which are responsible for enhancing the production of melanin. Production which - in individuals with freckles - is altered in itself, because it is excessive and poorly distributed.

In this regard, we recall that the melanin pigment acts as a protection for the skin against UV radiations: the red spots, therefore, represent a clear signal of the skin's inability to protect itself from the sun's rays in a uniform manner.

Treatment

Deepening: Treatments and natural remedies against freckles

For some people, freckles are considered to be a characteristic trait that should not be hidden, while for others they are considered as a flaw to be removed. Indeed, for many affected people, freckles are such a heavy and thorny problem that they feel ashamed to feel "different". All this, in the most extreme cases, could create psychological problems, despite the fact that freckles do not represent any pathological form.

However, those who consider this skin manifestation as a problem to be solved can count on the help of different cosmetic products and different aesthetic treatments.

The spotted appearance made by freckles can be corrected with the application of depigmenting agents and lightening and exfoliating creams (based, for example, on glycolic acid or cogic acid).

Herbal medicine also offers some natural remedies that can be considered useful to reduce the imperfection, such as, for example, products based on licorice extracts, known for their lightening and depigmenting properties.

Among the aesthetic and dermatological treatments mostly used for the removal of freckles, instead, we recall the chemical peels (based, for example, of glycolic acid) and some more invasive treatments, such as the laser and diathermocoagulation.