For the love of Freckles
- Esti_Carla
- Nov 21, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 14, 2019
I've always loved freckles, as a child I used to choose costumes where I'd be able to draw on Freckles since I wasn't naturally blessed with any. Growing up in Brazil there was a superstitious saying that if someone counted stars they'd get warts, but I used to hope it'd be freckles instead and counted away. Luckily the superstition din't come true for the warts, but to my disappointment it also didn't come true for the freckles.
Now as a skincare professional my goal is to help you, my freckled friends maintain and manage your glorious freckles. That's right, managing them is an important part of having them stay freckled and not turn into clumpy dark spots. You may ask what are freckles, why do I have them and can I get rid of them? I've certainly met plenty of people that would trade me in a heartbeat to give away their freckles if they could. Although you cannot permanently get rid of freckles there are treatments that can be done to subdue them and temporarily relinquish them of their freckle duties. But first let me help you love them and to feel amazing wearing them.
Freckles are your skins response to additional melanin in the pigment of your skin. They are small, flat, can appear in various areas of the body including face, shoulders, back and arms. Depending on your skin tone they can also be red, tan or brown. Genetics and sun exposure are the key components to having freckles. Those with darker skin tones can have freckles but it is less common. People with fair skin, those with red or light brown hair or with light-colored eyes are more likely to develop them.
Having freckles isn't dangerous but those with freckles are more likely to burn in the sun so precautions is extremely important as sun exposure has been linked to skin to cancer. Washington state also has one of the most diagnosis of skin cancer in the nation! The Department of health said it was in the top 10 states in 2017 for melanoma cases. Because its often overcast in WA most of us don't think we need sunscreen. But UV rays that stands for Ultraviolet Radiation, is still harmful under clouds. Then when we have a glorious sunny day, everyone wants to get a tan, go for hike, get on the boat, go paddle-boarding and absorb the sun and they'll skip the sunscreen. Or at least that's been my own experience with friends and family, even I've done it. Went off topic a bit from freckles, but this is important stuff readers.
Alright back to it, here's some tips on how you can embrace and treat your glorious freckles:
1. Wear sunscreen. You may be tired of hearing this skincare tip or are just hearing it for the first time. You will never or should never encounter a skincare professional where this is isn't at the top of the list. This is because sunscreen is the first line of defense against UVA and UVB. Wearing the correct type of sunscreen for your skin type and activity is also equally important.
2. Embrace them, love them and let them shine! Your freckles are unique, like fingerprints no one has the exact freckles, not even identical twins. If you like to wear foundation find one that is sheer so your freckles can peek through other than covering them up.
3. A good skincare regiment is an important start to keeping them as individual freckles. The minimum 3 step process:
1. Cleanse
2. Moisturize
3. SPF
Choosing the right cleanser based on your skin type whether dry, oily or combination can also assist against them clumping do to active ingredients for light exfoliation and pigment control.
Some must have ingredients in your skincare routine if trying to manage, maintain or even get rid of hyperpigmentation is: Vitamin C, Rentinol, AHA's and Kojic Acid comes to mind. Its also important to have these ingredients be listed as active ingredients. The difference between active ingredients and just regular ingredients is a very important diasctintion. Active ingredients specifically means that it has been shown to alter or change the skin by changing the cell structure. With professional products it means they have undergone clinical trials to ensure the active ingredients has shown to be effective.
An important active ingredient in a cleanser to treat hyperpigmentation is Lactic acid. But the best process is to ultimately add a step to your skincare regiment by having a daily serum. Serums are a crucial step because it penetrates the stratum corneum, the outer most layer of the skin with smaller molecules. They often have high concentrations since applied in small amounts. Most of the ingredients also have multiple purposes so its a win all around, they can aid in anti-aging, acne, dryness and dullness of the skin as a few extra perks.
4. Get professional facial treatments and don't wait until for the freckles become clumps, that's what were trying to avoid. If you're wanting to completely rid yourself of freckles for a while the treatment depends on your skin tone and how much pigmentation you have. There are treatments like chemical peels, nano-infusion, microneedling and laser treatments. If a laser ends up being chosen option for your circumstances I'd suggest a 1064 Yag for any skin darker than olive tone and an IPL for lighter skin. Laser treatments are extensively more costly vs corrective facials and still take multiple treatments. I find that Microneedling and Chemical Peels can also be just as effective with less risk. The chemical exfoliation can penetrate the epidermis and attack the pigment. Then Nanoneedling or Microneedling is a great middle ground to laser treatment. The downtime is much better, it has multiple benefits and can also aid in having active ingredients penetrate deeper.
If you'd like a consultation or have additional questions get in contact by filling out the contact information on the Book Now page.
Carla Peach, Master Esthetician.
image: Canva Photos
