Though predominantly found on the face, freckles can appear all over the body. Freckles are not a skin disorder and are not cancerous in any way. They can be a nuisance to some, yet normal to most, and even cute to a few people. For many of us, freckles are just our skin’s way of telling us that we are getting too much sun and should use sun protection.

Freckles Be Gone!

The most immediate way to “get rid” of your freckles is to use concealer or foundation that you can purchase over the counter. Although this is just to cover the freckles, it is by far the most cost-efficient way to hide them.

There are also bleaching creams that slowly fade the freckles by inhibiting melanin. Dermatologists can also prescribe chemical peels to peel off your freckled skin. Lastly, you can get laser treatment, a fast and long-lasting technique performed by dermatologists. The downside is that it can be a bit heavy on your wallet.

There are also home remedies such as sour milk and lemon juice. Washing your face with sour milk will make the lactic acid peel away your skin gently without too much irritation. Applying lemon juice to your skin is also another remedy, but requires that you avoid the sun for risk of burning your face.

Last Food (or Freckle) for Thought

Even a couple minutes of sun exposure every day can build up freckles over a longer time period. This makes it very important to protect yourself from the sun by wearing sunscreen, avoid peak sun hours, and wearing hats to keep the sun from directly hitting your face. Believe me, this will save you so much time and money in the long run!

Strawberry Mark

A Hemangioma is a bright red raised area that can occur anywhere in the skin.   It might be barely noticeable at birth and then grow to an inch or several inches across during a child’s first months.  Because a hemangioma brings a blood supply to the surface of the skin, they may bleed easily if bumped or scratched.

Often when the child is 6 to 12 months old, the redness will fade to gray and the mark will flatten and fade in a process know as involution.  In some cases the skin might break down and erode during involution.   Strawberry marks often disappear by the time the child is 5 years old.  Strawberry marks on the scalp are often hidden by hair and require no treatment.  A hemangioma near an eye or on the face is often treated more aggressively.  Read more about Hemangiomas and Strawberry Marks here.

There are two main types of hemangiomas:

• Strawberry hemangiomas (strawberry mark, nevus vascularis, capillary hemangioma, hemangioma simplex) may develop several weeks after birth.
• Cavernous hemangiomas (angioma cavernosum, cavernoma) are similar to strawberry hemangiomas but they are deeper.

Port Wine Stains

A port wine stain is a hemangioma of dilated capilaries, and generally presents as a large red or purplish spot that occurs on the arm, leg or face.   It is sometimes raised and generally persists throughout adulthood.  Some port wine stains are associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome, so check with your pediatrician.    Port Wine stains often respond well to laser treatment which can soften the discoloration and provide cosmetic benefits.

Mongolian Spots

Mongolian spots are flat marks of various sizes that are present at birth and resemble bruises on the lower back or buttocks.  The spots are bluish greay to bluish green.

Cafe au lait spots

Cafe au lait spots are flat, irregularly shaped small tan or brown areas present on the skin at birth.

Capillary Marks

Capillary marks are small pinkish brown or pink spots present at birth that gradually fade away before a child is 18 months old.