Reduce freckles, brown spots, sunspots and more with skin and laser treatments in Vancouver (Surrey)

At our clinic, we use multiple treatments for freckles to help lighten or reduce these pigmented brown spots. Our ability to take a ‘mixed mode’ approach to this type of skin concern is what makes us so effective. We not only have the arsenal of tools to treat freckles in a variety of ways; we also have the expertise to know how to use them alongside each other, without affecting your health and safety.

We explain many sun damage and hyperpigmentation treatments on our website’s pages about these issues. These are essentially the same solutions that can be used for freckles (depending on your case). If you’d like to learn more about this subject, we encourage you to view those aforementioned links.

In summary, freckle and brown spot treatments can include:

• Skin lightening creams containing hydroquinone, arbutin, kojic acid, niacinamide and others. We also use non-hydroquinone skin brighteners, such as this one (opens a new tab).
• Prescription or over-the-counter retinoids (vitamin A derivatives), such as tretinoin or tazarotene. These also improve acne and wrinkles. On that note, the SkinMedica® retinol line (opens a new tab) has been proven to be just as effective, and does not require a prescription.
• Deep and superficial laser treatments, such as with the Fraxel® DUAL laser, a Fractional CO2 laser, and others. Picosecond lasers like the PicoSure™ laser or the enlighten® laser can also be suitable.
• Chemical peels.

And possibly more, depending on your case.

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Freckles are also known as ephelides or lentigines. They are flat, circular spots on the skin that can look like many small ‘dots.’ Essentially, they are excess melanin deposits that were stimulated into production due to UV light penetration. These spots can come in hues of red, yellow, tan, brown or black.

So-called, ‘true’ freckles usually develop in early childhood, forming random patterns on the skin, especially after sun exposure. Larger-sized freckles appear later in life, and are actually sun spots (also known as age spots, liver spots or brown spots). They also stem from sun exposure.

Freckles are harmless. However, concerns can arise when freckles are confused with other skin diseases such as melanomas or basal cell carcinomas. The thing to know is that freckles are not the same as moles. They are also not quite the same as the dangerous sun damage conditions, which you can read about here.

There are two types of freckles:

Ephelides – these are the genetic type of freckles that most people refer to when they say they have freckles. They are typically small, round and tan in colour. They look like many tiny dots on the skin, but they are not poikiloderma. They appear after prolonged sun exposure, and can fade with a lack of sun exposure.

Solar lentigines – these are non-genetic brown spots (a.k.a. liver spots, or sun spots). They are darker, larger than 2 millimetres, but still flat and brown-ish. They can happen anywhere a person gets continual sun exposure. They usually appear after the age of 40. They don’t get lighter in the winter.

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Ephelides freckles are believed to be a genetic predisposition, since they are common in fair skinned people. However, UV rays from the sun or tanning beds can also create solar lentigines (i.e. brown spots) in anyone, whether or not they were born with freckles.

So, on the one hand, you may have freckles because you inherited the predisposition. On the other hand, lifestyle habits that exposed you to the sun or other UV sources probably exacerbated your melanin production.

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The main way to prevent freckles and brown spots is to avoid the sun, or to be protected from the sun’s rays at all times (even when indoors, and on cloudy days). Recommended ways to protect yourself from UV rays include:

• Never go tanning or use tanning beds.
• Applying a high-grade, broad-spectrum sunscreen every day. Then, reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. If you wear makeup, try the Colorescience® brush-on sunscreen for reapplication throughout the day.
• Avoid being in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Wear wide-brimmed hats and sun-protective clothing when you go outdoors.

Also: don’t be ‘rogue’ with sun exposure! The sun’s UV rays can bounce off of sand, snow and cement. So even when you walk from your car to your house, you do get accumulated sun exposure, which can have adverse effects on your skin, over time.

People who are prone to freckling are also generally more at risk for developing skin cancers and should, all the more, practice these prevention methods.

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The cost of brown spot or freckle removal in Surrey, at our Vancouver-area clinic, can vary depending on multiple factors. These can include:

• The size and intensity of the freckles or brown spots you want to treat.
• Their location on the body.
• The type of treatment modality to be used.
• The number of treatments needed to achieve skin lightening.

We will need to see you in person for a consultation before being able to give you a price for your hyperpigmentation treatments.

Our consultations can be very educational. We use technologies like the VISIA® skin analysis camera to assess sun damage underneath your skin, and not just on top of it. This gives us a more accurate representation of the freckles or brown spots you are likely to develop near the surface of your skin, in due time. Knowing this, we can make better treatment recommendations for you.

Consultations come with a fee, but this fee is later credited towards treatments or products at our skin clinic, within 30 days. The treatment you choose doesn’t have to be related to your freckles (you could get a facial, for example).

We encourage you to get in touch today! We’ll book you in as soon as possible.