Bleaching agents, the most conventional treatment for freckles, have limited success in masking the appearance of freckles. Bleaching agents attempt to fade the freckles to a color approximating that of the surrounding skin. However, they can sometimes lighten or darken the skin surrounding the freckles, calling even more attention to the spots.

Occassionally, bleaching agents cause rashes or chemical burns. Some people have had success using alpha hydroxy acids on a regular basis, combined with sun avoidance and the use of sunblock. Some dermatologists recommend prescription-strength retinoids for the treatment of freckles. Modern treatments for lightening freckles include freezing them with liquid nitrogen, and the use of strong acid peels or ablative laser treatments. Freezing, chemical peels and ablative laser treatments, while more effective than conventional treatments, can damage healthy skin, cause scarring and require lengthy recovery times. The use of Intense Pulsed Light is a new treatment option for those wanting to fade their freckles.

Freckle removal is easily achieved with lasers. Before lasers, it was difficult to remove freckles because the lesions are so small. But with laser, the treatment can be pinpointed at even a very small spot. Other methods used to remove freckles include laser resurfacing, Retin-A, and chemical peels. Laser resurfacing is a pretty significant procedure to recover from, so it is usually done only when there is severe sun damage or undesired wrinkles to remove as well. Retin-A is a good treatment, but good results take several to many months of use of the product. Chemical peels are of two main types, superficial, and deeper. The superficial peels, such as glycolic peels, are able to remove freckles, but usually with many repeated treatments. The deeper peels will get rid of freckles all at once, but recovery is more significant.

Source from: http://skin-care.health-cares.net/

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