Here's How the Summer Sun Triggers Freckles to Appear

On the first sunny day of spring, do you find freckles spreading across your nose, cheeks, or arms? Do your freckles only come out in the summer? If you have a predisposition to freckles on your skin, these small, dark marks will show up more when you go out in the sunshine.

While freckles are typically not a cause for concern, in rare cases, they may indicate serious skin conditions. Some people also prefer to minimize their freckles for aesthetic reasons. At Lasercare Skin Clinic of Little Rock, Arkansas, we offer a full range of skin care services, including cosmetic procedures that can reduce the appearance of your freckles throughout the spring and summer, as well as check-ups for more serious health and wellness concerns. Bruce Sanderson, MD has the expertise and sensitivity you can trust to help you put your best face forward this season.

What causes freckles?

When a freckle shows up, it's a sign that your skin has been triggered to produce melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives your skin color. If melanin builds up in a specific location under your skin, a brown, tan, or red freckle can appear.

Going out in the sun makes your skin cells start producing extra melanin intended to shield your skin from sun damage. Increased melanin is also behind your sun tan — as well as your sunburn. If you have the necessary genetic predisposition, exposure to the sun will bring freckles out on your skin. Freckles are most likely to appear on areas of your body that get the most sun exposure, like your face, arms, neck, back, and upper chest.

Not everyone gets freckles, or has the same number or pattern when freckles appear. For some people, freckles are common in childhood, and then fade later in adult life. If you have light-colored hair and skin, you're more likely to get freckles, at least during the sunnier seasons of the year.

What you can do

Some people don't mind their freckles, but others prefer to minimize the appearances of irregularities in their skin tone. To prevent freckles, limit your direct sun exposure, and use a water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher that also includes UVA and UVB protection.

While staying out of the sun can keep new freckles from appearing, it won't do much to fade your existing ones. For that, you can turn to a range of at-home and in-office products and procedures.

• Some people find that a simple at-home treatment with lemon juice can lighten dark spots, due to natural quantities of vitamin C
• Aloe vera can also help to fade freckles, as the plant contains salicylic acid and aloin
• Cosmetic products formulated with trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and phenol, as well as retinoids, can effectively lighten freckles

If you're interested, Lasercare Skin Clinic also offers medical procedures to remove unsightly dark spots, including freckles. A laser therapy session or chemical peel can effectively resurface your skin, safely removing blemishes and uneven pigmentation.

While freckles aren't a symptom of any disease, they can sometimes look like early signs of skin cancer, so it's a good idea to get any significant changes in your skin and pigmentation looked at by a medical professional. To schedule your initial appointment at Lasercare Skin Clinic and discuss your cosmetic treatment options or medical risk factors, give us a call today.