The question has been asked whether freckles are the same thing as age spots.  The answer is no, they are quite different.  A freckle might be considered to be a mini-tan, showing up over a few days or weeks as the skin tries to protect itself from the UV rays of the sun by producing more pigment.  Although the sun that causes freckles does hurt the skin, true freckles are harmless, often fading with time. 

By comparison, age spots - those dark blotches that show up after years of sun exposure - are themselves a form of sun damage and won’t disappear unless they are bleached, peeled, or taken off with a laser.  The ultraviolet rays of the sun, particularly UVA, produce abnormal keratin, a fibrous protein in the epidermal structures of the skin.  This abnormal “keratinization” is the primary factor in the appearance of these “age spots”, “sun-freckles”, and many other varieties of skin discoloration which dermatologists call “hyperpigmentation”.  

Damage to melanocytes, the pigment cells that produce melanin which gives our skin its color, causes these cells to be distributed unevenly in the surface of the skin and this produces the various forms of discoloration.  You can apply all the over-the-counter pigment faders you like to these spots for months or years, but you will not see much change.  But there is a product on the market that combines 10% glycolic acid with hydroquinone and kojic acid which can fade them in just a few months, especially if it is used with a good sunscreen.  

The effectiveness of the hydroquinone and kojic acid is partly dependent on their ability to penetrate the skin.  Glycolic acid appears to aid in the penetration of these two ingredients because it breaks up and exfoliates the top, dead layer of the skin along with the discoloration.  If the preparation with 10% glycolic acid, hydroquinone, and kojic acid is used regularly each day, the thickened stratum corneum is gradually diminished along with the darkened color.  Again, it must be emphasized that it is imperative you use a broad-spectrum sun block, preferably one that contains, among other sun-blocking agents, titanium dioxide. It is particularly effective in blocking the UVA rays, which are the ones that cause the most damage to the underlying structures of the skin.  

For those of you who are blessed with freckles, enjoy them.  In recent years, among certain celebrities, freckles have become quite chic. 

The late K L. Perrins was a Registered Pharmacist with over 40 years experience and creator of Desert Bloom products.  Desert Bloom products are available at the website http://www.desert-bloom.net

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