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What Are Freckles?

In a nutshell, freckles are pigment clusters in the skin. A freckle, medically known as a lentigo or ephelis, is a tiny patch of normal skin where the melanocytes are producing more melanin than in the surrounding area.

Freckles can vary in size, shape and intensity or darkness, as well as how sparsely or tightly they appear. Usually, they are small, and light tan in colour. Freckles are different to moles – they are flat, not raised, and they do not affect skin texture.

The occurrence of freckles is beneath the epidermis and is merely showing through to the surface. That’s why treatment must target to the deeper layers of the skin to break up pigment and remove it – they cannot be removed from the outer layer.

Freckles can appear anywhere on the body – any skin that already contains pigment, basically. Common body areas for freckling include the chest, shoulders, forearms and lower legs, as these parts are most often exposed to the sun.

Unlike moles, they don’t pose any health concern. However, many people simply don’t like the look of them on their skin, whether it’s on their complexion or on their body.

But how are freckles caused? Why do they appear? How come they affect some skin types more than others?

Freckles get their colour from melanin, a substance that’s found naturally in the body. Melanin is responsible for colouring all kinds of parts, including your hair.

In the skin, melanin’s job is to protect the epidermis from UV exposure – it’s naturally produced by the skin for self-preservation.

Sometimes, when attacked by UV rays, the skin goes into hypervigilant mode and overproduces melanin as self-protection. This excess melanin appears in the skin as a dark spot or freckle. Think of each freckle as a little umbrella your skin has put up to help shield itself.

The visible result is hyperpigmentation – when skin becomes discoloured, uneven, blotchy or freckled with surplus pigment.

No one is born with freckles – they are always something that develops from environmental exposure. They can appear very early in life though – for some, early childhood.

Can you inherit freckles? Are you more prone if family members are freckly?

The variation of the MC1R gene that causes freckles is passed down genetically through the parents. People of Celtic heritage (Irish, Scottish), who typically have very fair skin, are more likely to have this genetic mutation than other groups – especially those with red hair. However, people of African, Mediterranean, Asian and Hispanic descent can also have freckles.

Contour Clinic’s Laser Freckle Removal Treatment

While some topical treatments can help to inhibit further freckling from developing, the only hard and fast way to rid your complexion of freckling is to treat it beneath surface level.

This means laser therapy, using a specific type of laser designed to target pigmentation irregularities. The laser shatters and destroys the pigment, and the body then rids this broken-down pigment naturally through the lymphatic system like any other toxin.

The result is a newly clear complexion with significant fading of hyperpigmentation, and in some cases, freckling is eradicated altogether.

How to Prepare for Laser Freckle Removal Treatment

With most of our laser dermal treatments, a certain amount of skin prep is necessary to reap maximum results from your treatment plan.

For laser freckle removal, we recommend the use of a pigment inhibitor for at least four weeks in the lead up to commencing your course of treatment sessions.

This is a medical-grade skincare product that can be purchased in any of our clinics – we recommend Aspect Dr Complete Pigment Plus to our patients. It works to prevent any further hyperpigmentation from developing, and most importantly, it works to control the overproduction of melanin that caused the freckling.

All skin types are suitable for laser freckle removal treatment.

However, if you suffer from melasma, there can be complications to consider, so be careful not to confuse your melasma for freckling.

Melasma is not the same as freckles. It’s a form of hyperpigmentation often related to hormones, UV damage, genetics, pregnancy, some medications and other factors. While freckles present as individual spots, melasma looks like blotchy darkening, uneven skin colour and ‘shadows’ – usually across the forehead, cheeks, sides of face and upper lip. It can be exacerbated by heat, which is why some laser types are unsuitable for melasma.

Where Can I Get This Treatment?

You can find our Freckle Removal laser treatment at any one of our Contour Clinics locations; Newtown, Castle Hill, Five Dock, and Miranda in Sydney, as well as Stones Corner in Brisbane.

Each of our clinics uses a variation of the laser technology used for removing this type of pigment but they are of the same quality and efficacy standard.

Contact our friendly patient care team to book a consultation with one of our expert Skin & Laser Therapists.

Your consultation appointment is complimentary and is obligation-free. Here we can assess your skin and your concerns, to devise an effective treatment plan tailored just to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

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