Monday, November 24, 2008

Treatment Of Freckles

Freckle is actually a heavy deposit of melanin at one particular spot of the skin. The cells of the body that produce color are known as melanocytes. These melanocytes become sensitive to the harsh sunlight and they in turn lead to freckles. There is no stable cure to remove freckles. It is better to prevent the condition from happening and one should take care of their skin especially those who develop this condition easily.

Prevention-
Avoid going in the sun. Even if one has to go then it is better to wear protection in form of sunscreen before stepping out in the sun. The sunscreen should have SPF 20 +. Head gears like, hats, scarfs and to cover the hands gloves should be worn.

Treatments-

Creams- various over the counter bleaching creams are available. The most common agent in bleach is the hydro quinone. Retin-A or tretinon are some of the other popular bleaching agents. They are used in various combinations to treat the various conditions.

Risk factors- these topical creams may not be suitable for every skin type. They are capable only to lighten the skin color near the freckle area. Some of the side effects like redness, drying of skin and peeling can happen.

Chemical peels- one has to seek a physician help to get this treatment done. They can be either superficial or deep peels. They are the best to treat the freckles gradually. They are done in various sittings

Risk factors- peels that penetrate deeper are more dangerous. But for quick results the deep penetrating ones are recommended.

Laser resurfacing- in this the freckles are burned with the laser treatment. It has to be carried out by a physician and is very effective.

Risk factors- the time to recover can be more than a week. Sometimes the treatment is painful and redness can happen. Scab on the skin can also form. The treatment is a costlier affair.

Intense pulsed light therapy- this is the latest kind of treatment and it makes use of intense broad band light. This light is delivered to the layers of the skin. The skin doesn’t get damaged and the recovery time is nil. The treatment also has good lasting effects.

Risk factors- though this treatment is safer than laser treatment and less painful too. But it is done in various sittings.

It’s better to discuss with the dermatologists before going for any kind of skin treatment.

No comments: