When does a Freckle Become a
Sun spot?
By Kimberly Moskowitz, MS, MD
The familiar freckle is a cute little brown dot that eventually shows up
in childhood after unprotected sun exposure. Contrary to popular belief, we
are not born with freckles. We are born with the ability to make freckles
based on our genetics and skin tone, but our skin will not make a freckle if
not challenged by the sun to do so. Melanocytes, the pigment producing
cells in the skin, are stimulated by the sun’s ultraviolet radiation to
over-produce melanin. Like a callous, this is the skin’s way of protecting
or shielding the skin’s deeper layers from injury. This protective mechanism
can manifest as a suntan, a freckle, or an “Age spot”.
Freckles are the initial manifestation of sun exposure and sun
damage. Freckles are round with smooth borders and are most
numerous when we are young.
They darken in the
summertime and fade in the winter. As years go by and the
summertime “freckles” fade you begin to notice that some of
those cute little dots that once graced your cheeks and
forehead remain, but morphed, into tan or brown spots with
irregular borders. Age spots, I presume? So when exactly
does this metamorphic calamity occur?
The term “age spot” is actually a misnomer or at least an
overstatement. These flat unsightly lesions on the backs of
hands, the face, chest, and forearms, increase in proportion to the
amount of sun exposure we accumulate over time. This means
that they usually don’t show up on our skin until we reach our
30s or 40s. As excess melanin becomes “clumped” in the skin,
people with sunspots also develop mottled uneven skin
pigmentation or melasma. Although age spots become more
prominent as we grow older, someone who’s endured significant
sun exposure or indoor tanning can develop them as early as their
teens or 20s. Age spots, more accurately called sunspots, are
usually harmless, they don’t disappear in the winter, and sadly,
they never completely go away unless they are treated.
As the 40s have become the new 30s and “baby boomers” have
moved middle age from the 40s to the 50s and 60s, there are now
more “middle aged” women than ever looking to preserve their
youthful appearance. So how do we heal these marks of time?
No doubt, the sun is the skin’s greatest enemy. According to the
American Academy of Dermatology, the best way to prevent all
aspects of sun damage, including sunspots, wrinkles, and skin
cancer, is to (1) minimize sun exposure, (2) apply, daily, a broadspectrum SPF 30 sunscreen with Zinc Oxide, 30 minutes before
going outside, and reapplied every 2-3 hours. Topical creams
containing Hydroquinone and Retin-A work together to slow
down the production of abnormal pigment produced by
melanocytes. Topical Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) and Retin-A
have been shown to scavenge free radicals; repair cancer-causing
DNA mutations caused by the sun’s UV rays, and soften fine
lines and sunspots.
As 2010 celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Laser, we have
grown increasingly fascinated with light and its biodiversity in
healing the skin and body.
Photorejuvenation aka IPL
treatments are the “Gold Standard” for treating freckles,
sunspots, dilated facial capillaries, and most forms of sun-
damage. A series of three to six, 15-minute treatments can
eliminate 85-95% of sunspots. If your face, neck, or chest have
more severe damage including fine lines and wrinkles, PDT
(Photodynamic Therapy), Fraxel™ Repair or Fraxel™ Restore
laser treatments erase sunspots and abundantly stimulate collagen
in the dermis to tighten loose skin and restore youthful elasticity.
Fraxel™ is why many of those Hollywood actresses seem to be
getting younger instead of older. Fraxel™ Repair, touted as “the
non-surgical facelift”, instantly repairs and tightens sun damaged
skin, making your skin look a decade younger in 7-10 days.
Laser procedures such as Fraxel™ work by causing thermal
injury to the skin, which then provokes a healing response.
These laser procedures produce dramatic results but we are
learning that sometimes the nature of phototherapy does not lie
entirely in thermal injury. Researchers and clinicians have been
working with non-invasive visible light in the form of Light
Emitting Diodes (LED) that naturally stimulate intracellular
processes that heal cells. Blue, red, and yellow LED lights are
being used alone for wrinkle reduction, skin rejuvenation, and
acne or to enhance the results of other procedures such as
chemical peels, Fraxel ™ Lasers, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
and IPL. Red and Yellow lights have been shown to increase
collagen production, reduce abnormal melanin production, and
reduce the healing time of Fraxel™ treatments by as much as
50%.
While there may be a fine line between a freckle and an “age
spot”, the future of aging skin looks bright; however, it is critical
to start protecting and repairing your skin early because Sun
damage doesn’t just happen over night.
Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center
Kimberly Moskowitz, MS, MD
Medical Degree/Residency:
Georgetown University
Skin & Laser Medicine Specialist
651 Grand Panama Blvd Suite 102
(850) 233-0264
www.skinandveins.com