Some dark spots recently appeared on your skin. Are they sun spots, or are they freckles? And perhaps more importantly, can you get rid of these spots, and can you do something to avoid getting more of them?
Let’s compare sun spots vs freckles to help you find the answers to these questions.
What are sun spots?
Sun spots are flat brown spots that can appear on your skin after sun exposure. They are also called liver spots or age spots, which tend to get more common as we age.
Sunspots signify that your skin suffered some damage from repeated sun exposure. The damaged skin cells start producing excess melanin, resulting in brown spots on your face, back, arms, or any area of your body frequently exposed to the sun.
People of all races and skin types can develop sun spots on their skin, and these spots are generally larger than freckles.
Are they dangerous?
Sunspots are not dangerous. However, a suspicious sun spot that changes colour, size or texture could be an early sign of skin cancer.
Keep an eye on your sun spots and speak with a doctor if you notice sudden changes.
What can I do to prevent them?
While spending time in the sun benefits our health, it can also damage our skin. To prevent the apparition of sun spots, you must protect your skin properly.
When you are about to go out in the sun, apply sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher on your face and any exposed skin area. Reapply every two hours at the very least.
You could also wear a hat that will protect your face from the sun and limit your time outdoors while the sun is at its peak.
Can I get rid of sunspots?
Sunspots can fade over time, but they don’t always do. Fortunately, there are different things you can do to get rid of sunspots.
A dermatologist could recommend a cream or lotion to help the sunspots fade. You could also turn to cosmetic treatments such as:
- Chemical peel: This treatment involves a solution that will be applied to your skin and remove its outer layer to reveal a more even skin tone.
- Micro-needling: This painless procedure involves tiny needles that will trigger your skin’s collagen production so it will be able to heal and renew itself.
- Laser therapy: A laser treatment targets the pigments of sunspots to efficiently get rid of them.
- IPL treatment: An intense pulsed light treatment is similar to laser therapy, as it targets the pigments of sunspots to make them fade away.
What are freckles?
Freckles are also small dark spots, much smaller than sunspots. Your freckles could be light brown, dark brown, red, or black, depending on your skin tone.
The apparition of freckles is triggered by sun exposure, but whether your skin can produce freckles or not depends on your genetics. That means that if you don’t have the freckles gene, you won’t get freckles even after spending a lot of time under the sun.
Freckles are mostly common for people with fair skin and red or blonde hair. However, anyone can have freckles if they have the right gene.
Are they dangerous?
Freckles are not dangerous. They are helpful! The pigments that form your freckles act naturally to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
However, you should not rely on your freckles for sun protection. If you see many freckles on your skin, take it as a sign that you must apply sunscreen more frequently.
Your skin is trying to protect itself, but it could use some help.
What can I do to prevent them?
If you want to prevent freckles, protect your skin from the sun with sunscreen. The measures that help prevent sun spots will also help prevent the appearance of more freckles on your face.
Treatments such as IPL can help you eliminate freckles if you want to. However, remember that freckles are less stubborn than sun spots and tend to fade away when the sunny summer days are over.
Can I get rid of freckles?
Freckles also tend to be less and less noticeable as you age. And since they are not harmful, there is no reason to try to eliminate them unless you don’t like how they look.
Sun spots and freckles look similar, but as you can see, they are not the same. Hopefully, you can now figure out whether those spots on your skin are sun spots or freckles. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen to protect your skin!
